Chapters ++Astropathic Choir Intercept ZX937, Kyne’s Fury 3.549.873.M39++Thought for the Day: The Alien fails because it cannot embrace the Emperor.
My Lord,
We have done as you commanded and sought the world in the Halo Stars. Though the journey through the Warp was long and treacherous, our Navigator pulled us through with minimal damage and only slight temporal irregularities. The dead xenos system was found, as the Emperor’s Tarot declared it would be, after a mere search of three months subjective time, though material time is currently unknown due to Warp distortion. Five worlds are located in the system, which we have now dubbed Equis, for… well, for reasons that shall soon become apparent.
The star Equis Primaris is a main-sequence yellow star apparently in the prime of its stellar life. Observations we could make in such a short time were limited, but nothing about it particularly differentiates itself from the primary of the Holy Sol System or those of uncounted systems beyond. It is easily capable of sustaining human life, should a colonial effort ever be undertaken to this system. Though why the Imperium of Man should bother to do so is, frankly, beyond me. This star system is far outside our borders and has little remaining of worth.
Equis I is little more than a scorched ball of rock close to the system’s primary. Resembling the planet Mercury of the Sol System, it contains little to make it desirable. It lacks atmosphere, valuable minerals, or indeed most anything that we could detect beyond sun-blackened rock. Temperatures on the surface are well past tolerable levels for all but the most specialized probes. Our party made little more than a cursory attempt to examine it, but all indications are that its worth is negligible to our Imperium.
Equis II is little better than its neighbor. Only slightly larger than Equis I, it lacks more than a thin atmosphere, as well as any easily exploitable resources. Furthermore, the world appears to be tectonically unstable, with at least two quakes capable of creating cracks visible from orbit occurring during our short stay in the system. While its distance from its solar body makes temperatures somewhat more amendable to Imperial colonization than Equis I, I confess that I see little point in doing so. Nothing of value exists on that sphere.
Equis III is the system’s sole planet that would be capable of sustaining human life without extensive terraforming and other expensive solutions. Unlike its sibling planets, this world appears to be rotationally locked around Equis Primaris. The result is a planet that is half sun-baked desert, half frozen wasteland, with a thin stretch of twilight in between. Though this phenomena is not unknown to Imperial scholars, the second is far more unnatural, and suggests a heavy taint by the Warp. Equis III’s moon appears to somehow be locked in place over the planet’s night side, precisely opposite to the location of Equis Primaris. It maintained this position throughout our entire stay, despite the blatant physical impossibility involved. By all rights, the moon should have plummeted to the planet below the moment its revolution ceased. I fear that the corruption of the Warp is behind this obviously unnatural phenomenon. It was on this planet that we made the key discovery of our journey, but I will speak on that in a moment.
Equis IV and V are, frankly, of little note. Both are blue-green ringed gas giant planets of fairly generic orbit and composition. Nothing truly separates them from each other beyond the fact that Equis IV possesses ten moons while Equis V possesses only seven. Of these moons, two contain valuable resources of note, though neither possesses an atmosphere. Our representative from the Adeptus Mechanicus, Magos Katravich can explain the details of these worlds and their value to a far greater degree than I can. Her geological report should prove far more informative on the nature of these planets than I will be here. ++See: Intercept ZX941++
My Lord, my own task took myself and my fellow Acolytes to Equis III. As predicted, we found the remnants of a dead xenos civilization. Analysis of what remains suggests a very curious level of similarity in architectural design to that of certain primitive human designs. Technological levels appeared to be no more advanced than those of a Feudal World, with certain strange exceptions. A number of artifacts recovered suggest a level of technology perhaps equal to a Civilized World. Some, such as a well-worn but recognizable primitive locomotive, appeared to be designed to run off of coal, though most were lacking in any evident power source. Porthis, our psyker, suggested that these might be the remains of devices once powered by psychic witchery. If this is so, the xenos must have possessed a great deal of psychic potential and made frequent use of it. Perhaps this was the cause of their demise?
More curious than this, though, was the utter lack of comparatively fresh corpses on the planet. We located what appears to have been some sort of graveyard analogue, containing old skeletons greatly resembling certain smaller breeds of equines. However, we noted that not a single body was found outside of this place. Stranger still, while certain plant life existed in the small twilight zone between the desert and frozen lands, not a single instance of animal life greater than the microbe level was located. Furthermore, certain features visible on the desert side suggest that the planet was not always rotationally locked – indeed that it became so quite recently. Dried up riverbeds, lakes, and even whole oceans were confirmed to exist. These were in a state of mild erosion, which suggests that they have not been dried up for long, elsewise they would be unidentifiable. In addition, what appeared to be entire forests of dried, bleached trees were found, having apparently failed to rot. No animal corpses were found within. All this suggests that the period of time between the planet’s becoming rotationally locked and the present is vanishingly small. If I may indulge in hypothesizing, perhaps it has been this way no more than a few decades, or even a few years.
We located many examples of xenos ruins on both sides of the planet, and Magos Katravich did her best to record and catalog them all in what limited time we had. Her report contains more details on the subject. I would like to note that, as far I was able to determine, they generally appear to conform to my hypothesis of recent rotational locking, evidencing no more than a few years worth of decay, particularly in the twilight zone. The most momentous event of our trip occurred during our investigation of an unusually large set of ruins of what had evidently once been a major xenos mountain city. This particular set was located on the sun side of the planet, though by no more than a handful of miles. The temperatures were barely endurable to the un-augmented human body even with environmental suits.
As we probed the debris for clues as to what precisely befell the place, Porthis signaled for my attention. He apparently detected a faint psychic signature near the west most point of the city. Naturally, it was our duty to investigate this anomaly. We formed up in good order, then proceeded through what was left of the city streets. We soon arrived at what looked to have once been one of the largest buildings in the city, perhaps a castle or mansion of some sort. Indicating a particularly intact half-tower, Porthis informed me that our quarry appeared to be holed up within.
Sensing a potential trap of some kind, I began organizing a team to explore the building, when suddenly that proved quite unnecessary. In an event I shamefully admit caught me off guard, a living, breathing xenos threw itself out of a hole in the wall and rushed our party. I would have given the order to open fire, but something in the way the creature was running stopped me. I’ve seen equines charge before, most notably when I served beside the Estendian Light Cavalry during my time in the Imperial Guard, and this one didn’t appear to be charging. Instead, it looked to be throwing itself at us in a moment of raw panic and desperation, reinforced by the utter lack of hostility in its face.
Looking back, I realize that assuming I can know the thoughts of xeno scum from familiar-seeming expressions was raw foolishness and arrogance on my part. The alien mind is not comprehensible to a sane woman, nor should the Emperor's servants try. My team and myself might have suffered irreparable losses if the Emperor had not smiled on us in those next moments. Blessed miracles cannot be counted on in life or death situations. I have spent many hours in penalty cells attempting to do penance for this lapse in judgment. I welcome any additional punishment you wish to impose, my Lord.
Still, I will say that my impressions appear to have been validated by the xeno’s subsequent actions. It closed dozens of meters in a matter of seconds, appearing to possess all the speed of its equine ancestors. Rather than attack, as I feared in the moment, it collapsed to its knees in front of us. As if the whole episode weren’t surprising enough already, it somehow spoke in Low Gothic! Servo-skull recordings prove that the creature was actually speaking, and not using some sort of psychic trick.
On its knees, the equine xeno begged us to save it from what it repeatedly referred to as “the dark ones.” It implored us to bear it away from this world and conceal it somewhere safe, somewhere “where they can’t get me.” It continued to cry and mumble incoherently, alternating between relatively lucid moments of pleading and random fits of deranged paranoia. During the latter, it evidenced the belief that whatever it feared were somehow watching it even now, and desired its pain and misery. I suspected it might be sensing daemons of some sort, but Porthis confirmed that he detected no presence of any kind beyond ours and that of the xeno before us. In one of its fits, it attempted to conceal itself from its imagined tormenters behind my legs.
It was at that time that I was able to observe the creature in detail. It is a purple-colored equine, considerably smaller than adults of domesticated varieties that I had seen prior to this. It possesses two wings and a short forehead horn, along with a badly-damaged mane of a darker purple, with slight streaks of light purple and pink. Its eyes look to be too large for its head, and its muzzle is considerably smaller than that of any similar creature I have ever encountered. It has a brand of some sort on its flank, perhaps denoting status or ownership. I hypothesize that the wings and horn are vestigial, as the horn is small and dull, while the wings do not appear large enough to carry it in flight. More detailed analysis of its physical form is included in this report.
Despite the creature’s apparently nonsensical mood swings, it did not prove hostile. On the contrary, when it was lucid it made every effort to cooperate with us, gladly agreeing to accompany us to our shuttle as a prisoner, and even urging us to go faster. When asked how it knew that we were not the ones that had so terrorized it, it laughed bitterly and said that we were “nothing like them.” As this appeared to trigger another onset of paranoia, I ordered a temporary halt to this line of inquiry.
In an attempt to keep the xeno more lucid and less likely to attempt escape or suicide until we could get it safely secured into a shipboard cell, I chose to try and focus the conversation elsewhere. When asked if it had any identifier, it nodded in a curiously human-like gesture and claimed to be called Twilight Sparkle. It further identified itself as a female. When asked its species designation, it called itself a pony, then amended to say it was an alicorn. A curious designation, but one that seems to stir some sort of memory in me. I will have to examine this in more detail.
“Twilight” continued to alternate between small-talk, urges to increase our speed, and random attempts to hide behind various members of our party while declaring that “they” wouldn’t get it throughout our walk back to the shuttle. In the process, it identified the ruins through which we crept as “Canterlot” and repeatedly swore to a being called “Celestia.” Notably, mentioning the latter name caused it to break down into tears and crazed fits on at least three occasions.
It took its assigned place in our shuttle with great enthusiasm, repeatedly exclaiming how happy it was to be away from whatever tormented it here. I accompanied part of the team back to orbit with the captured xeno, while the remainder stayed behind to continue examining the ruins. Their further findings are documented in the attachments to this report. The creature refrained from complaining about the particularly rough ride back to orbit, and once on-board proved as cooperative as it had been on the planet.
However, “Twilight” was revealed to have another major psychological weakness almost right away. When exposed to anything less than well-lit areas, it immediately resumed terrified, paranoid behaviors, claiming “they” came from the darkness. No rational arguments swayed its mind, and in the end it had to be forcibly carried through such areas. Though I loathe to consider the opinions of xenos filth in anything I do, I was forced to order it to be placed in a cell that is continuously lit, for fear of causing a total mental breakdown in the creature before it could reveal any useful information. It accepted imprisonment without complaint, and in fact thanked us for “saving” it. I worry about the quality of information to be gained from such an obviously deranged specimen, but thus far it is the only living example of its kind to hand.
That brings me to now, when I sit at my desk, composing my thoughts for you. We make for system’s edge as I write, returning to Imperial space at last. I cannot tell you what a blessing it will be to behold pure, unsullied human worlds again after so long examining those of xenos scum. I will interrogate this “Twilight Sparkle”, and if necessary I will break it to get at whatever it knows. I will not fail you, my Lord.
Your servant,
++Astropathic Choir Intercept ZX951, Kyne’s Fury 3.612.873.M39++Thought for the Day: The wise man learns from the deaths of others.
My Lord,
I have completed the preliminary interrogation of xeno specimen #2891. Hereafter referred to as “Twilight Sparkle”, the creature’s self-designation. Transcript, amended by my notes, and preliminary conclusion to follow.
++Interrogation the First++
Setting: Cell 59XBA. Cell is kept at maximum lumination at all times. Light levels enough to cause pain and irritation in unaided human eyes. Xenos does not show discomfort. Cell is bare save for a wall-mounted cot and a set consisting of a pair of metallic chairs and matching table. Xenos is resting on cot. NO! Don’t do that! They’ll get me if it’s dark! They’ll get me! Don’t let them get me! Promise you won’t let them get me!DON’T LET THEM GET ME!!! [Apparently the wings are not as vestigial as I previously believed, as she used them at this point to get directly into my face.]Both K and TS sit down on chairs. TS demonstrates no difficultly or unfamiliarity with doing so. [This creature demonstrates uncanny knowledge of human behaviors. Was its culture really so similar to ours, or is it truly that good a telepath?]please ! Don’t take them! No! No! NO! Don’t… Don’t leave me…Don’t let them take me! TS screams incoherently. TS rolls on ground, screaming. TS continues incoherent screaming and sobs. TS continues screaming.
++Interrogation Ends++
++Preliminary Thoughts++
My Lord, though the meeting was unproductive in many ways, I did learn several things about our xeno prisoner. When it is lucid, it appears perfectly willing to cooperate and even grateful for being removed from this “Canterlot”. It seems a bit curious as well, judging from its response to my protective goggles. Despite this helpful attitude, the xeno experiences what appear to be extremely traumatic flashbacks and consequent mental breakdowns with alarming ease. I question what use it may be if this proves a continuing phenomenon.
If it is as psychic as it indicates, these breakdowns may be a reaction to the psychic imprints left on its homeworld by whatever event consumed its species, and thus may lessen or even fade away as we travel further from its home system. Exterminatus-level events have been known to leave similar psychic impressions on the minds of even Sanctioned psykers in the past. If this does not prove to be the case, I intend to allow Porthis to attempt to simply tear what information he can straight from its damaged mind. I will not allow my time to be wasted on such a wretched creature indefinitely. Unless that is your will, of course, Lord Rovini.
Despite the creature’s severe mental instability, it did tell me several things of value about its species. First and foremost is the fact that, if it is to be believed, the entire race was psychic and apparently at least somewhat regular in the use of such power (as inferred from the pegasi controlling “all the weather”). This apparently unregulated use of the Warp would handily explain why what appears to have previously been a pleasant world became rotationally locked and why its satellite insists on defying the laws of physics so. Still, it does not explain other phenomena we found, such as the lack of recent bodies or natural-looking state of the land. Daemonic incursions are not known for leaving a light footprint.
Another valuable clue is that this “Equestria” appears to have been caste-based. I can only speculate on the specifics for now, but the fact that the species was ruled entirely by one subspecies with the most psychic power indicates a certain degree of worshipful reverence of witches. This is hardly a phenomena unknown to the Holy Inquisition. The subject’s prior swearing by Celestia, now identified as the society’s ruler and an alicorn, in a manner similar to a human swearing by the Emperor, suggests even deific levels of reverence for witchery. The idea is reinforced by the apparently particularly extreme horror with which the xeno appears to regard their being “taken”. If indeed the case, this would explain a great many things. Perhaps this Celestia or Luna is responsible for how the moon hangs in a static position above Equis III? If the naming conventions of the species were consistent with our own, it seems most likely that Luna would be responsible for such a state, bearing as she apparently did an identical name to the satellite of Holy Terra.
The oddity here is the use of identical titles for the society’s apparent diarchs and a lesser royal individual. I have yet to concoct a feasible explanation, save perhaps that the title in their language conveys absolute superiority, and was meant primarily for the consumption of lesser castes rather than the alicorns themselves. Perhaps the diarches bore different titles among whatever alicorn social groups existed? In that case, I, as a non-alicorn and thus lesser being, would not be entitled to hear their real titles. I shall investigate this line of reasoning in further interrogation sessions, if possible.
Another nugget of data worth mentioning is the presence of multiple sapient species on the subect's homeworld. It further appeared to place some special significance on the species called "dragons". Perhaps it had a personal relationship of some kind in the past? Or perhaps this was a societal attitude. As we did not find any non-equine remains in our search, another question arises: what became of these creatures?
Finally, there remains the most pressing question: are this xeno’s multiple humanlike behaviors – speaking Low Gothic, shaking hands, using chairs, calling someone princess – truly artifacts of its culture? Or is it possible that it is somehow using telepathy to glean those behaviors from our minds and mimicking them in some sort of attempt to cultivate familiarity? Either explanation is troubling. In case of the latter, I have ordered its cell be guarded by servitors rather than men. These should be immune to telepathic attack. If it is the former, then we must consider the possibility of human contact in the species’ distant past, and the implications thereof. I will send more when I have it.
Your servant,
++Astropathic Choir Intercept ZX965, Kyne’s Fury 3.681.873.M39++Thought for the Day: Sorrow awaits the foolhardy.
My Lord,
Several updates on xeno specimen #2891. The creature’s digestive system appears quite hardy, and it accepts the nutrient gruel we have prepared without complaint, which is more than I can say for several of our crewmen. Observation of the creature has at least partially confirmed its claims of psychic power. When left alone for an extended period, the creature began using telekinesis to juggle the furniture in an attempt to entertain itself. That it did so with such consummate ease aboard a ship in the Warp with the Gellar field up is quite worrying, showing as it does that the xeno's connection with the Warp is great enough to draw considerable psychic energy even through a barrier explicitly meant to keep such energies out. We lack the proper wards to contain such levels of power here, and I was forced to give it some puzzles and games in an attempt to keep it busy, and warned it in the harshest of terms to stop its psychic activities immediately. It appeared puzzled by this demand, but has thus far complied out of a desire to please me.
I have ordered the guard outside its room doubled. In a further precaution, I have dimmed the lights in the surrounding corridors to almost nothing. My hope is that if the creature tries to escape, these darkened area will trigger a psychological breakdown and subsequent helpless cowering. Still, if this creature genuinely attempts to fight us and is able to overcome (or has somehow been faking) its psychological weakness, I am not entirely sure we would win. The armsmen aboard our ship are few in number since the Chaos reaver boarding incident related in our earlier correspondence. Our defenses were not created to repel a single psyker of great magnitude. I request orders: do we kill the creature in its sleep for being too dangerous, or do you feel the opportunities presented are too great for such a permanent solution?
We were able to obtain blood and tissue samples from the xenoform, which we have been analyzing. The DNA sequences do not greatly diverge from the common equine species that exist within our blessed Imperium, which has lead me to form a hypothesis of the species’ origins. Due to their cultural similarities to certain human societies and identical language usage, it is my theory that these creatures are descended in some manner from domestic equines. Perhaps they are a remnant of a creation of some culture from the Dark Age of Technology, or perhaps they were twisted over the long years by the Warp. Either way, I theorize that these creatures, consciously or unconsciously, adopted much of the culture and tools of their former masters, even as they forgot their very existence. Until further proof is obtained, this remains merely a guess, but it is the best explanation I can conceive for the uncanny similarities displayed.
I performed two more interviews with the xeno filth before sending you this. Sullying as it is to contact alien scum in any non-military manner, the creature still seems to respond positively to "friendly" behavior on my part, as is consistent with herding behaviors in equine species. Transcripts, amended by my notes, and conclusions to follow.
++Interrogation the Second++
Setting: Cell 59XBA. Cell remains brightly lit. Xeno is lying on cot, engaged in word puzzle. Still does no show discomfort at light levels. K and TS assume seats at table TS shivers noticably. They took them! We’re all going to die! NO!
++Interrogation Ends++
++Interrogation the Third++
Setting: Cell 59XBA. Xenos is absently staring at the ceiling. Expression suggests deep thought. K and TS embrace. [I still can’t believe I did this. The things one sacrifices for the Imperium.]thankyou ! *crying, nuzzles K in gesture similar to domestic cat*TS grins broadly. K exits cell, returns several minutes later with Regicide. K and TS play three rounds of Regicide, TS losing all three.
++Interrogation Ends++
++Thoughts++
My Lord, I feel that I’ve hit on the tactic to coax information out of this xeno. It seems to desire companionship after the extinction of its race. Not surprising, given that equines are herd animals by instinct. It believes, at least on some subconscious level, that I will help it to return to a normal social state. Humans, even previous introverts, have been known to express similar sentiments when pulled away from their planet of origin. Or, in the event that their culture of birth was utterly destroyed, as seems to be the case here. I should know.
I believe that, by offering the relationship it so plainly desires, I can psychologically stabilize the creature to an extent that it will divulge what I want it to know without having breakdowns. While there are risks associated with such a tactic, they pale compared to the risks involved in torturing such a power psychic in such an unstable state of mind. Particularly aboard a vessel separated from the source of all psychic power only by our Gellar field. Perhaps we can even find a use for the creature’s psychic powers after we are done interrogating it, assuming that it is able to normalize. With your permission, of course, Lord.
Our knowledge of the creature's culture has expanded considerably. We now face the possibility that, knowingly or not, the xenos creatures of Equis III worshiped the Dark Gods of Chaos. More than one alien race the Imperium has exterminated over its lifetime has been so contaminated. A religious (or semi-religious) reverence for, rather than righteous rejection of, the mutation of their natural forms certainly seems to fit with that theory. And we do know that it is possible for worlds under their sway to temporarily appear as paradises, so as to trap the souls of the unwary. If this is the case, it would explain much about the world's sudden collapse from beauty to ruin, but not the curiously light footprint of the attackers. This is what keeps me from totally putting my confidence in this theory. If Chaos overran the world, where are the bloodstained alters, wild daemons, and warped landscapes they leave behind?
Your servant,
++Astropathic Choir Intercept ZX971, Kyne’s Fury 3.702.873.M39++Thought for the Day: A fine mind is a blessing of the Emperor - It should not be cluttered with trivialities.
My Lord,
Three weeks. Three weeks I’ve spent “bonding” with that wretched xenos. My every instinct and all the religious knowledge I posses screams at me to hate it, to curse it, to destroy it in the Emperor’s holy name, and yet I must instead pretend to be its friend. This is a truly loathsome state of affairs. However, as is always the case, orders are orders. Feelings must give way to necessities. As per your wishes, I am doing everything I reasonably can to keep the creature intact and cooperative. I have been continuously engaging it in various innocuous activities for its petty amusement, humiliating as the task is.
After some time I was finally able to get it to reveal substantial amounts of new information. While I have conducted numerous sessions prior to the one whose transcript I now send you, they have not featured anything substantial beyond various play activities. I feel that with the innate slowness and unreliability of Astropathic communication, I should not waste your precious time with transcripts of truly inane games and childish rhymes, coupled with the occasional psychological breakdown. Of course, if my Lord Inquisitor feels that it should be otherwise, he need simply say so.
++Interrogation the Forty Sixth++
Setting: Cell 59XBA. Cell is still brightly lit. Xeno is lying on cot, apparently asleep. K mumbles inaudibly. [I accidentally almost blurted out what I thought about celebrating its own mutation. Of everything, that disgusts me most.]they came…Unbelievable… them , have you met any other aliens while colonizing the galaxy?K and TS embrace NO! I beg of you.... Please… Please, please leave them alone! Don’t take them! Don’t take them! Don’t take them!
++Interrogation Ends++
++Thoughts++
My Lord, while there are many questions remaining, this particular interview has yielded much information on the nature of the xenos society, and in particular its leadership. We now know that the diarchs took power after deposing the previous ruler in a coup with some manner of mystical artifact called the Elements of Harmony. These appear to have played a reoccurring role in Equestrian history, enabling the defeat of Luna by Celestia, and later the second defeat of Luna by Twilight and her mysterious friends. If the descriptions of their powers are accurate, they possess both the powers of teleportation and imprisonment, as well as mind control.
The question of how these artifacts behave is a relevant one. In one case, these artifacts are described as banishing an individual to "the moon" (presumably Equis III's) for an entire millennium. In another, they are described as being used to "get rid of" the same individual's undesirable personality traits and reintegrate her into society. This of course raises the question that if this Celestia sincerely wished to rule with Luna in a diarchy, why did she use the Elements to banish her to the moon rather than simply purging the "wicked' elements of her sister to start with? Why send one's own sibling into exile for a thousand years, if other options were available to her?
No, the description of events leaves me with little doubt that Celestia was the real ruler. After disposing of her sister for an extended period, she was able to secure total power, politically, culturally, and religiously over her nation. Later, at a time and place of her choosing, she was able to manipulate Twilight and her companions into brainwashing her sibling into becoming a bulwark supporting her own throne. By doing this, she was able to present herself as a benevolent monarch to an adoring public while simultaneously eliminating the only viable threat to her power. A clever move, if I am being honest, much as it pains me to credit anything to a false xeno goddess. Many noble houses of the Imperium would be green with envy over such a deft feat of political maneuvering.
This theory of Equestrian history is further backed up by the subject’s choice of words with regards to her own ascension: Celestia, and Celestia only, is said to have dubbed her ready. Despite being nominal diarchs, Luna’s approval was neither mentioned nor apparently needed. If they were equals, would they not logically collaborate on events as important as the elevation of one of their subjects to apparent demigod-hood? That they did not is very telling. Combined with the xenos’ prior oaths to her as if a deity, and her place in their society becomes relatively clear. The xeno's apparent thoughtfulness at the mention of the God-Emperor thus takes on a new meaning.
The other valuable nugget from this process is a clue into the nature of the attack on this Equestria. Apparently, at least at the beginning, the process was slow and measured. The initial target, Zecora, is described as being far from civilization – in the Everfree, whatever that was. Presumably some sort of isolated or dangerous reason where a missing person would not be immediately noticed. The second target, the Apple family, shows us that the invaders had knowledge of, and appreciation for, terror tactics. The family was evidently abducted, murdered, and their flayed hides deposited by stealth in some sort of public area. The means and motivation for this are presently unknown. Still, such tactics are a start in our question to narrow down the source of the world’s destruction.
The modus operandi of the mode of attack described fits in well with the prior description of the attackers as "the dark ones." Certain enemies of the Imperium, such as the Night Lords Traitor Legion and Eldar Corsairs, are known to use such tactics while striking from darkness. This would explain the association between darkened areas and Twilight's attackers. In many cases, these forces also choose to wear dark-colored armor, a further point in this theory's favor. On the other hand, neither of these groups are known for picking a planet entirely clean - they prefer to leave survivors behind to spread the message to Imperial would-be rescuers. Certainly neither of them have been noted to be so thorough in destroying the opposition as to wipe out the entirety of a planet's non-sapient population with such a precise scalpel as seems to have been used.
Your servant,
++Astropathic Choir Intercept ZY007, Kyne’s Fury 3.717.873.M39++Thought for the Day: Ruthlessness is the kindness of the wise.
My Lord,
The xeno is beginning to regain some of her nerve. It appears that the earlier phenomena were at least in part a reaction to psychic imprints left on her home planet by the genocide of her species. She grows somewhat more relaxed the farther we go from it, though I stress this is a relative term. She has also demonstrated a greater level of courage when in realspace, despite the fact that she doesn’t consciously sense the difference (or at least doesn’t tell me if she does). If not for the current streak of bad luck (another Ork attack, a pirate raid) afflicting the Imperial planets with which we have attempted to rendezvous, I would have given her a prolonged interrogation in the Materium rather than continued our work while in Warp transit. Now that we are some distance from Equis III, it is my hope that she might soon prove up to recalling useful intelligence within the comforting confines of natural reality.
Our work with her world’s cultural objects seems to back up my theories on the origin of the xenos species. They used primitive tools such as hammers, saws, forks, and other such things with little to no modification from the way mankind creates them, in spite of the manifest unsuitability of these objects to their fingerless bodies. Much of “their” culture appears to have been directly appropriated from a backwards human society. When questioned about this, the xenos seemed more interested than offended. She commented that the idea sounded fascinating, and that she wished to participate in these studies. For the first time, she requested to be let out of her cell. I denied the request, of course, but she does not seem to have given up. It is in this context that the below interview should be taken.
++Interrogation the Fifty Eighth++
Setting: Cell 59XBA. Cell remains brightly lit. Xenos is batting game pieces around on the table absentmindedly. K walks up to door and inputs access code. TS claps hooves in a manner suggesting excitement. The door opens momentarily. TS walks up to doorway, looks outside. NO! NO PLEASE! Please, make it stop ! They’ll get you! They’ll get me! HAVE MERCY!!! [Just as anticipated.]TS screams incoherently. K seals door behind herself.
++Interrogation Ends++
++Thoughts++
My Lord, this is becoming unacceptable. The xenos is increasingly asserting her own wishes into my attempts at interrogation. I may have dissuaded her from leaving her cell at this juncture, but my instincts tell me it will not be long before she simply requests more light out there, and then freedom. Her mind, as best I understand it from prolonged interaction with her, is too sharp to be fooled by any obvious lies about inadequate ability to light up the corridors. She has at least a basic understanding of our technological levels, if not much of one of our society.
If I give in to this, she will start asking for more and more. Thus far I have declined to reveal official Imperial policy on xenos, due to the strong sense of betrayal and moral outrage this would almost certainly cause in the xenos. If she learns that the Emperor commands us not only to never befriend the xenos, but to actively seek out and exterminate all who will not bow unconditionally to humanity's will, her reaction is likely to be severe. She would immediately turn against us, out of both self-preservation and moral indignation. In the best case scenario, she would clamp up and refuse to speak to me any longer. In the worst, she could become outright violent, lashing out with her not-inconsiderable psychic abilities. As I noted before, we may not win such a confrontation.
If even the best case scenario were to happen, all my work at “befriending” her would almost certainly be for naught, and I would be forced to start from scratch with a much more hostile subject. As before, torture might simply destroy what is left of her sanity altogether, making her worthless except as a subject for dissection. On the other hand, a refusal to allow her out might also cause her to lose faith in me. She might believe (correctly) that I am conspiring to keep her in the cell for reasons beyond her own good. This would similarly make my efforts thus far in vain. Now that she believes me her friend, she is expecting certain things from me.
Of course, I will admit that I was the one who fostered this idea in the first place by my attempts to use more gentle persuasive techniques. I now question my own methodology in this case. Have I inadvertently spoiled the xenos so much that she will refuse to talk until she gets what she want? In such case, I may be forced to break her the old fashioned way. Gaining the information on the menace to our Imperium is too important to leave to the whims of a pony seemingly out of some inane children’s animation. Still, you have given orders to preserve her if at all possible. Beyond that, there remains the risk of destroying her mind in the process and making interrogation of any kind utterly untenable. Despite all our efforts to acquire one, we have no backup specimen to speak to. If this xenos dies, any chance of learning about the dire threat you have spoken of dies with her.
Therefore, Lord Rovini, I must seek your guidance in this matter. Do I have your permission to go to more forcible methods if she does not crack soon? I request a response as soon as you can.
Your servant,
++Astropathic Choir Intercept ZY018, Kyne’s Fury 3.725.873.M39++Thought for the Day: The burden of failure is the most terrible punishment of all.
My Lord,
Per your orders, we have continued to try gentler means but added a greater sense of urgency to it. Banking on the creature's emotional bond to myself and our species, encouraging it to feel guilty if it fails to aid us with knowledge, seems to be an effective approach to this matter. By playing it thus, we shift the topic away from giving it more knowledge about ourselves and why it continues to be banned from leaving its cell. We will keep this method up until and unless it seems that this approach will do us no more good. Torture will be the last step, if necessary. My latest attempt at communication with the xeno proved more fruitful than the last – I have several insights on the nature of this enemy that may beset our Imperium. Without further ado, the transcript:
++Interrogation the Fifty Ninth++
Setting: Cell 59XBA. Cell continues to be brightly lit. Xenos is sprawled over the cot. Expression comparable to a bored human. Them... No… No… No… No No No No No-SNAP OUT OF IT!!! more?! NO! … Not again…horrible! Sweet Celestia, it was horrible!dead! Skinned! Their pelts were… their pelts w-were in the town square! For everypony to see! Everypony… Granny Smith… Big Mac… Applejack… E-Even little Applebloom. Dead! Skinned! And somepony threw displayed their hides in the town square! SPIKE VANISHED! THEY TOOK HIM!!! THEY’LL TAKE ME!! THEY’LL TAKE US ALL!!! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
++Interrogation Ends++
++Thoughts++
Lord Rovoni, though this evidently caused no small amount of mental stress to the xeno, this account tells us many valuable things about the enemy and their capabilities. The attackers obviously had done some reconnaissance prior to their opening gambit, understanding as they did the xenos psychology. It further seems to confirm my earlier analysis that they prefer stealth and terror attacks. The initial attacks served the purpose of demoralizing the enemy, as well as removing one of the potential obstacles in the form of one of the bearers of these Elements of Harmony. Notice how they then forced their targets to gather together for protection, then demoralized them still further by slipping through their security to graphically execute the local leadership within the very walls where they thought themselves safe. If war comes, we must alert our fortress commanders to always have bodyguards on hand and ready to fight.
Next, our mysterious invaders presumably acted to cut off communications, removing this “Spike” from the field and nullifying the link he provided to the distant rulers. Imperial communications should be ready for a repeat of such decapitation and isolation strategies in the event of war. Our astropaths, the precious psychic links that tie our worlds together, must be carefully guarded on any worlds that may be beset by this foe in the future. Their ability to observe and rapidly respond to xenos activity indicates they have some method for spying on their enemies. Granted, this could be simple benefit of high technology against primitive alien scum showing its hand. On the other hand, underestimating an opponent's capabilities is foolish, and countermeasures must be considered.
Though we do not at present have the exact specifications of the security measures the xenos took, it seems reasonably probable that the attackers had some means of either obscuring themselves from vision altogether or else a method of teleportation. The “Warp Spiders” of the Eldar have been known to possess the ability to enter and exit the Warp at short range to teleport. It is true that these beings are more associated with the Craftworld Eldar than with the outright piratical brand, but who are we to say that the technology is not shared between the various branches of that xenos filth? The Eldar are ever fickle, untrustworthy, and unpredictable, and the Emperor's servants must be diligent.
While the stealth and terror elements of this attack certainly fit with the modis apparendi of the Night Lords Traitor Legion, they tend to spurn the sorcery that would make such precise teleportation as demonstrated possible. And it seems doubtful that they would be able to slip past the xenos defenses totally unseen to kill one target and abduct another without massacring others along their way. Wanton butchery, not subtlety was ever the method of the VIII Legion, even in the days before the Great Heresy. And why they would choose to do so in any case is vague, though minds clouded by the Dark Gods cannot be called rational. Another factor worth considering is that the xenos buildings were not built for Astartes-scale beings, which would make such a stealthy approach even more difficult.
My earlier theories of daemonic incursion now seem less and less likely in my own mind. While certain daemons have been known to exhibit comparable behaviors, particularly on hive worlds or starships, they do not do so in number sufficient to overwhelm a world. Particularly not a world as filled with psychics as Equis III seems to have been. If daemons overran the planet, there should have been a far more active offensive on all areas of it over the course of hours. Simply put, this does not match the profile we have of Chaotic incursion, though as always the irrational and unpredictable nature of the enemy remains a formidable puzzle to wrestle with.
Finally, the possibility of some as of yet undiscovered enemy being the cause of these attacks must be considered. If this is the case, then we must know more about them. I hope to interrogate the xenos creature on what happened next tomorrow. I will send you anything more I learn, as always.
Your servant,
++Astropathic Choir Intercept ZY023, Kyne’s Fury 3.729.873.M39++Thought for the Day: By the manner of their death we shall know them.
My Lord,
We are finally getting somewhere of true and immediate significance in the debriefing of this creature. I am pleased to report that I was able to wring several more important bits of information from the xeno today, albeit with some difficulty, due to the ever-irritating mental derangement. The mental effects of this trauma, even so far removed from Equis III, are proving annoyingly resilient. And I worry that this creature’s willingness and/or ability to talk is close to reaching its end. Hopefully, they will be followed shortly by its wretched life.
++Interrogation the Sixtieth++
Setting: Cell 59XBA. Cell remains as brightly lit as ever. A human continuously exposed to this degree of lighting would have developed severe ocular problems by this point. Xeno is curled up on bed. YOU BET!!! [The manic grin on her face was more than a little unnerving.]Twilight! [It took me three minutes to get her to cease screaming and rolling around on the floor. I worry that forcing her to recount the story this way may be unraveling what’s left of her mind. I suspect she maintains what little sanity she has by suppressing the memories.]Nopony could sneak up on us! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! [Random switching between laughter and sobs did not do much for my opinion of her mind.]awfully naughty. They’d torn up the tracks ahead of us! So we had to hit the brakes! It was close, but with a bit of magic everything worked out in the end! The train didn’t go careening off the side of the mountain with everypony still inside! Hee hee hee! So I had to get everypony out of the train cars again. We had to walk the rest of the way to the city!TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT!
++Interrogation Ends++
++Thoughts++
Firstly, here are the new pieces of information on the nature of our enemy. As before, they enemy appears to have had a strong information network in place, accurately plotting the train’s intended destination and heading it off, forcing hundreds of civilians to make a dangerous trek up a narrow path to presumed safety. They would make easy targets for a massacre by ground troops. The same information network allowed them to locate and eliminate any xenos that breached their cloud cover, which was presumably artificially made. Eldar holo-projection, perhaps? Or maybe they had some way of manipulating the existing weather control system?
We have confirmation on aircraft of some sort, though the exact details have yet to be determined. These craft seem, at least thus far, would to be more for strafing and dive-bombing than high altitude attacks, as indicated by the xeno’s comments on “firing back”. Nothing we found in their civilization indicates any proficiency with antiaircraft weaponry. This tells us that the xeno most probably spoke of retaliating with psychic energy blasts, none of which could be expected to accurately hit or damage aircraft very far above the xenos’ collective heads. We can thus assume that the enemy makes use of such variety of craft for preliminary airstrikes on fortified positions. Canterlot, from its ruins, was one of the best defensive locations in the xenos nation, and would have been difficult to attack conventionally without at least softening it up first. We thus learn that the attackers are at least somewhat reluctant to commit to open battle on a defenders’ terms. This is valuable information for us to pass to our commanders. We may also presume the existence of some sort of fighter analogue, which is presumably what eliminated trespassing xenos flyers above the clouds.
This reluctance to commit to a straight attack right off the bat is well within the established combat doctrines of both the Eldar and Night Lords. Neither xenos nor heretic is willing to give open battle, slinking, faithless curs that they are. They know that they cannot stand to confront the Emperor’s wrath face-to-face, and thus hide in the shadows like the cowards they are whenever they can. The Eldar are, at least from my limited experience with their kind, more likely to employ outright airstrikes than the Traitor Astartes, but one should not underestimate the willingness of the foul heretics to do whatever it takes to win.
I believe that, with this new evidence, we can safely discount the theory of a daemonic incursion. Daemons are not known to employ aircraft, having little patience for softening up an enemy before attacking. In any case, it is doubtful that they would have had the time to do so, as they can generally only maintain a foothold in the Materium for a few hours at a time. By this point, the xeno describes the attack as having continued for days. Any daemon army would have overrun the planet or else have been pulled back to the foul hell of their Dark Gods by then. I do not know whether I should take comfort in this new knowledge that the Warp's progeny were not directly behind this or not.
On the subject of the xeno specimen. My Lord, I feel our subject is breaking down rapidly. While the information I am getting continues to be plausible and of some strategic and tactical value, the creature’s mental state cannot be relied upon for much longer. Indeed, it may already be unwittingly feeding us false information via inaccurate or damaged memory. If I keep dredging up its past, I believe it will soon lose all grip on reality. If this becomes the case, even torture will do us no good whatsoever for the purposes of acquiring further information. Speaking as a woman who has tried on more than one occasion, one cannot gain knowledge from a mind that no longer meaningfully functions. I must again request you orders, Lord Rovini. How do I proceed?
Your servant,
++Astropathic Choir Intercept ZY031, Kyne’s Fury 3.735.873.M39++Thought for the Day: There are no answers. Only death.
My Lord,
Results continue to be mixed. On the one hand, the xeno continues to talk and give us valuable information on what happened to its world. On the other hand, I continue to observe that the process of doing so is destroying what is left of the creature’s psyche. I now fully believe that its mind, unable to immediately cope with the loss of its deity, species, and homeworld in one fell swoop, essentially disassociated the memories as a defense mechanism. Dredging them up is causing it to deteriorate rapidly. From our recordings, the xeno is now reliving the extinction event even when completely alone. Several sessions have ended without my gaining any useful information whatsoever from its deranged ranting. I am no xeno-psychologist, but I estimate it has no longer than perhaps a week or maybe two left before the process ends. At that point, what becomes of the creature will essentially be down to the xeno’s own mental strength and the Emperor’s will. It may or may not survive, retain its sanity, or retain any memories at all
Understand that I bring this up not out of concern for the creature’s welfare, but to allow you time to give me any final orders with regard to it. I intend to squeeze every last drop of useful information from the alien’s mind before it collapses into insanity or worse. As ever, my Lord Inquisitor, I await your command.
++Interrogation the Sixty Fourth++
Setting: Cell 59XBA. Cell continues to be lit at all times. Xeno is curled in a ball on the floor. HI!!! [Here it once again used those wings to get directly in my face with astonishing speed.]Emperor’s bloody arse! really mountain climbing since there was a path up through the area that the train tracks followed, but that’s not the point. But I suppose a pony could argue that any form of unpowered ascent up a mountain is, in a sense, mountain climbing, but-NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!! out with it you xenos filth!
++Interrogation Ends++
++Thoughts++
While this session was not as productive as I was hoping for in terms of identifying the enemy, we did at least acquire new pieces of the puzzle. The enemy apparently had access to the xenos capital city well ahead of time, but either avoided targeting or chose to pass over the leader of their military, while destroying most anyone capable of mounting a political challenge to him. This suggests one of two things: either their intelligence is not so great as I had believed… or else they wanted the military command structure intact. If the latter, we must puzzle as to why. The Orks might do such a thing so as to generate a better fight. The Eldar might do it for the sadistic thrill of the act, or in accordance with bizarre alien designs. The Night Lords might do it because that’s what the voices in their heads told them to do. I strongly believe that the attackers chose to avoid killing this Shining Armor, seeing as how their intelligence was good enough to time the attack for when the most powerful psykers of the race were away from their stronghold and to continuously harry the xeno specimen’s party for as yet unknown reasons.
In related news, the fact that the xenos column was not attacked on the way up the mountain is yet another mystery. We know for a fact that the attackers had aerial assets in the immediate vicinity that were capable of attack runs on ground targets. Nothing in the description leads me to believe that these were shot down. And yet they chose to ignore a perfect chance to eliminate hundreds of enemy civilians in one swift stroke. We must consider why they did this. We can dismiss out of hand any high-minded humanitarianism, considering the unprovoked attacks already visited on this same group. Similarly, arguments that it was done purely for resource conservation fail in the face of local geography. I have seen that path with my own eyes, heavily damaged and worn though it was. Any army with even a small amount of aircraft could have turned that area into a killing field for the xenos. That they did not do this, in conjunction with their puzzling failure to eliminate the enemy military leadership leads me to one inescapable conclusion: they desired to make a fight of it. Victory in and of itself was not enough; they wished to win on very specific terms. This is highly valuable information on our enemy’s psychology, which we should not hesitate to use.
Though I do not yet know what happened next, I believe it safe to presume that there will be a battle very soon in this story. I will continue to press the subject for all available information until her mind gives out. And, as ever, I await your reply, Lord Rovini.
Your servant,
++Astropathic Choir Intercept ZY035, Kyne’s Fury 3.742.873.M39++Thought for the Day: Know thine enemy.
My Lord,
I have little to say in preface to this other than the fact that there was one more unproductive interrogation between the last one I sent you and this one. I believe this will be the last interrogation I shall be forced by cruel necessity to do on the xeno, for reasons that shall shortly be obvious.
++Interrogation the Sixty Sixth++
Setting: Cell 59XBA. Cell is still constantly lit. Xeno is curled in a ball and cowering underneath the bunk. TWILIGHT!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! wrong with it. You could see ponies shaking as it got louder. More than one screamed and bolted, trying to get away. Most of those we caught, but some slipped outside the shield. I don’t know what happened to them. I was just trying to keep everypony’s heads on.disintegrated on the spot. I felt like a little filly wanting to hide from the boogie-mare again. [She was, at this point, actually hiding under the table while she spoke to me.]Them .things . Most of them walked on two legs and had two arms, like minotaurs, or your kind. But some looked more like floating insects, beetles mostly. Some of the really big things looked like giant centipedes. Others were walking spider vehicles of some kind, with the metal skeletons in them as pilots. They had floating vehicles with pilots too. The smaller, skeletal ones were the soldiers, mostly carrying long, glowing green tube-things. Their weapons, a little like your… guns, was that what you called them?hurt .awful . I saw ponies getting vaporized, getting impaled by the giant insect things. I saw the green flashes as they were getting ripped apart down to nothing. There were horrible creatures that appeared out of nowhere. They were covered in bloody flesh and they’d cut ponies to pieces and cover themselves in their insides. [The xeno was, at this point, openly weeping as she spoke. I have edited this bit for clarity and to remove the stuttering.]got up . Its face flowed back together in a matter of seconds! What were we supposed to do against that?! We were outnumbered, surrounded, outgunned, and the enemy seemed impossible to kill! The guards near the gate were totally overrun in less than a minute. Those that didn’t get vaporized or skinned were dragged off by the horrid insect things. I never saw what happened to them, but I hope it was quick.
++Interrogation Ends++
++Thoughts++
This new information provides a great deal of tactical and strategic insight into our enemy. Not admittedly being a specialist in such matters myself, I shall leave it to those more attuned to strategy to puzzle out the exact ramifications for our war plans should we encounter this Imotekh or others of his kind, as you predicted. Nonetheless, we now know much more than we did about these so-called Necrontyr. If and when they face the Imperium of Man, they will not find us such easy prey as these weak xenos.
I do feel I must note a handful of things, however. Our enemy is an apparent believer in the virtues of single combat, and yet chose to spare the life of a defeated enemy commander. Moreover, if this report on its words is accurate, it knew or at least suspected that the xeno would be retrieved by one or more parties, possibly including the Imperium itself. It not only did not deny us any potential information, but actively allowed it to disseminate. While this is consistent with a desire for personal glory through single combat and its puzzling desire to intentionally make a fight of the apparent final battle, I am unsure as to whether this information leak reflects vainglory or is some sort of deliberate terror mechanism. Both are consistent with the observed tactics and strategy used in the conquest described.
My Lord, it is my duty to tell you that shortly after this interview, the xeno slipped into a coma. Though we have it in the med-bay at present, there is little we can do medically for a species we know so little of. It is, as I predicted, in the Emperor’s hands. And yours as well, Lord Rovini. What would you have me do with it?
Your servant,
Author's Note
And now you know. The epilogue should be up in a few days.
One question for you guys: I'm considering creating a sequel to this. Do you think I should?
++Departmento Munitorum Report 717-4591-62b-385++
++Vital Statistics++
Name: Sub-Sector Pathoris
++Imperial Forces++
Planetary Defense Force: ~2 billion
++Imperial Losses++
Planetary Defense Force: ~100 million
++Xenos Forces++
Species: [Sealed by order of the Holy Inquisition]
++Xenos Losses++
Ground Forces (Estimate): ~7 million
++Summary++
Sub-Sector Pathoris, located on the spinward fringe of Kalan Sector, itself near the spinward border of Ultima Segmentum, has fallen under heavy xenos attack. Once a comparatively rich and influential sub-sector across the region, the two dozen worlds of Sub-Sector Pathoris, the worlds of this sector now find themselves menaced by an unknown xenos species. Reports are sketchy, in part due to distance and war affecting sub-sector Departmento branches, in part due to the ongoing interference and censorship of outgoing materials by Ordo Xenos of the Holy Inquisition.
The xenos forces are, from intermittent reports received from Departmento Munitorum agents in the area, very powerful. They began their offensive into Imperial space with a two-pronged naval attack, scouring the agri-worlds Prosperity and Agathara of life from orbit in the early stages of the conflict before Imperial forces were able to respond. Three months in, they penetrated the Imperial blockade around the hive world Denton III to land considerable ground forces, which have dug in and engaged elements of the PDF, Imperial Guard, and Astartes. Despite a year and a half of sustained combat against numerically superior forces, the xenos have yet to be evicted, though they are no longer advancing to any significant degree. Lord General Callien, who attempted to personally command the battle, was instead assassinated by apparent xenos sniper attack. Lesser Imperial ground forces have similarly engaged smaller numbers of xenos attackers on the feral world Getheris IV and the agri world Emperor’s Bounty. In both cases the xenos are considerably outnumbered, but appear to be making slow headway. The reasons for these choices in worlds to attack rather than raze from orbit are unknown at the present.
In space, the Imperial Navy and SDF are similarly in stalemate with the enemy fleet. The xenos ships seem to be both faster and more powerful than their Imperial equivalents, but they are being used far more sparingly. As of yet, there has only been one prolonged naval engagement, resulting in the destruction of 2 Lunar-class Cruisers and 1 xenos Cruiser analogue. Though the forces of the God Emperor seem to have gotten the worst of this in terms of numbers, the enemy commander seems to be under the impression that it has far fewer ships in reserve than the Imperium, and has yet to commit to another such engagement. Instead, all naval battles since have been hit-and-run affairs against isolated planets or ships. However, the Exterminatus-scale bombardments seen in the initial invasion have not yet seen a repeated performance, presumably because the xenos wish to conquer rather than destroy the sub-sector outright.
We know that some within the Inquisition anticipated, or at the very least suspected, this attack. Over the five years prior to the initial engagements, Inquisitor, later and presently Lord Inquisitor, Tas Rovini and affiliated members and factions of Ordo Xenos had been making a concerted effort to draw military resources to the Kalan Sector. Their greatest success in this effort was a pledge to defend the sector by the Thunder Serpents Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. The precise origin of their foresight is unclear, though disturbing rumors have trickled back of the use of Sanctioned Xenos, a Radical measure that many would believe highly inappropriate to the relatively low-level warfare thus far seen, and possibly even heretical were it to be proven. Some among our Departmento feel that it may be proper to forward such evidence to the Kalan Inquisitorial Conclave for it to handle.
++Recommendations++
Kalan Sector: 5% increase in Imperial Tithe for the Imperial Guard, 10% increase in Imperial Tithe for the Imperial Navy. Let the Kalan Sector pay for its protection.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
++Personal Log, Sergeant Samuel Adoner++
The preachers were right after all. There is a hell, and I’m in it. Lost five of the lads yesterday to those things. Bloody command won’t even tell us what they are, and they expect us to purge a hive of them! Ha! Ha bloody ha. One second we’re patrolling “secure” territory, the next there’s a swarm of those infernal metal bugs coming out the ceiling. Julius was first. Two of them right in the eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever heard so much screaming. Ralthorne, then Yenir get crunched while we try and make a run for it. Malthus and Jacobson aren’t fast enough. So I toss every bloody frag grenade on my belt at the swarm, and that finally fugging does it, even if it doesn’t leave much left of the lads for them to identify.
And now I’m being investigated by some pompous, head up his arse Munitorum git for “misuse of the Emperor’s Holy Ordinance”. I tell you, the Emperor has a cruel sense of humor sometimes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
++Personal Log, Sanctioned Xenos Twilight Sparkle++
I have work to do.
Author's Note
Ok, so I finished the epilogue a bit early. Have at it.
(Bonus) My Dear Illuminor
++Contents of Hyperscroll Message to Illuminor Szeras++
Most Esteemed Illuminor Szeras,
Working with you in this endeavor has been quite the honor. It is good to see that your skills with upgrading the weaponry of our soldiers have not been oversold – indeed, I feel the stories do not do the reality of your work justice. Our recent joint operation against the equines was phenomenal success; many are the wonders that now reside safely in my collection. A trio of living alicorn psykers, an utterly unique Warp creature called a draconequus, a centaur, a three-headed canis lupus, and many more artifacts and creatures that can be found nowhere else in this galaxy are now safely in my galleries on Solemnace. I trust that you are also happy with the specimens you culled from their population? Their many and varied psychic talents should serve your research purposes most admirably. Your quest to understand the mysteries of life is one step closer to its culmination, thanks to our efforts.
I will confess to being somewhat surprised at your decision to bargain for the honored Phaeron Imotekh’s leadership of the assault. Did you feel our joint forces were inadequate to the task of overwhelming a planet of primitives? Yes, some of them were psykers of some note, but between the two of us we would have had more than sufficient strength to take what we desired from the equines. I request that you bring such doubts to me prior to such additions should we choose to repeat this endeavor in the future. Phaeron Imotekh demanded that the fourth alicorn psyker be let go as part of his price, and I was in no position to object to him. I regrettably cannot complete the Fall of Canterlot set, to my enduring sadness. Alas, I fear my display shall forever be unfinished. Still, I cannot fault the Phaeron’s strategy, nor can I debate his results. We took the planet in 23% less time than my most optimistic projections, and claimed thousands of specimens for our respective purposes.
Meanwhile, I have not forgotten our bargain. Along with this missive you will find an attached package, bearing all the Eldar specimens I captured in stasis at the Fifth Battle of Ynethor IV. Of course, why you chose to ask for all the Eldar captured in stasis at a battle between the Orks and the Imperium of Man is rather a mystery to me. From my limited perspective, I would have felt that the Eldar captured at Fifth Battle of Yethor IV, at which I was actually present, would have been the superior choice. Nonetheless, I am certain you had your reasons. I bid you happy experimentation and I sincerely look forward to our next encounter.
-Trazyn the Infinite
Author's Note
Just a little bonus for all my faithful readers, which should hopefully answer a few of your questions.
