Check out more than 45+ chapters right now! š„
š patreon.com/cw/Mr_UmU
https://www.patreon.com/Mr_UmU
___________
Chapter 151: Something Lurks in the Void
"Rest assured, I would never pursue such folly," Malcador said firmly.
'Let the Emperor concern Himself with such matters, ' the Sigillite thought. 'I am merely the loyal servant of the Imperium, acting upon the Emperor's will.'
The Raven nodded, then looked up at the space above them. Through the glass dome, he watched the newest warships floating quietly. Only their small thrusters flickered as they held position, while their plasma cores ran at low power.
"Are those the second-generation vessels?" the Raven asked.
Malcador looked where the creature pointed.
Although his normal eyes couldn't see anything in the distance, he used his psychic powers and let the energy flow through his mind. The warp enhanced his sight, and he could see the Imperial fleet clearly.
"Yes. Four hundred new ships now serve our fleet," Malcador confirmed. "Soon they'll leave to help the First Expedition Fleet, though His Majesty will decide whether to give them to existing groups or create new ones."
He pointed at the distant ships. "The second-generation ships are better than the old ones in every way. Not only do they have force-field generators, but they also possess dimensional travel systems and computers enhanced with Gene-Engine tech. These ships can jump within star systems, and their weapons can destroy stars."
The new warships combined tech from multiple realities, making them much stronger than the first-generation ships currently serving the Imperium.
While older ships had to use Mandeville points to enter and exit the warp, or gravity would tear them apart, these new ships could jump directly within star systems safely.
Their weapons were extremely powerful and could destroy star cores.
Moreover, their defenses were better than simple void shields and thick armor. These ships now had protection against reality erasure and psychic attacks, while improved void shields easily blocked even the worst bombardments.
Some of the four hundred had experimental time-reversal systems, early versions of the third generation. Even total destruction could be reversed, as the ships could return to perfect condition by reversing time.
Unfortunately, these systems only worked on the hull itself. They lasted only moments and needed huge amounts of energy, serving as prototypes collecting data for future production.
"Impressive," the Raven said.
Even without the time-travel third generation, these second-generation ships were powerful enough to crush every alien race in the galaxy. If they joined the Great Crusade, conquest would happen much faster. Once the third generation was ready, controlling everything would be certain.
Footsteps echoed on the garden's stone paths as several servants approached with food and drinks. They put them on the marble table and left with bows.
"Come, let us eat," Malcador suggested.
The Raven landed on the table and immediately went for the latest fried potatoes, while Malcador took some small pastries. Then he asked a question that had bothered him for a long time.
"Mr. Raven, might I ask a personal question?"
"Speak freely," the Raven replied without stopping his eating.
"Where do you come from? What gives you the power to travel between realities?"
The Raven stopped eating and sighed. "I don't know the answer either, Old Mac."
"When I woke up, I found myself controlling a mysterious realm. I could walk between universes, but I don't understand my purpose or what enemies I might face. I know fate's gifts cost something, though I don't know what price these abilities will demand."
Malcador nodded understandingly. "Your words make sense. When I was born with special powers and immortal life, I wondered why I got such gifts, since they could have been given to anyone."
"We are both cursed with self-awareness," the Raven said.
"Will you focus on finding these answers?" Malcador asked.
"No," the Raven replied firmly.
"Truth will show itself when it's time. Looking for answers doesn't help much; knowledge without power to act is useless. The multiverse won't change because you learn its secrets, so it's better to do what you think is meaningful."
"And what do you consider meaningful?"
"Making the perfect fried potato." The Raven sounded completely serious, as he wasn't joking at all.
Malcador stared silently.
'What did I even expect? That he would fight cosmic enemies to find universal truth? How naive.'
"The universe is absurd, Old Mac. Nothing we care about has real meaning; we just give it meaning," the Raven explained. "Making the perfect fries is, in my opinion, the most worthwhile thing to do."
"Your wisdom is... unique, Mr. Raven," Malcador said carefully.
After more talking, the Raven left with his stored potatoes and returned to the Emperor. Meanwhile, Malcador went back to his workrooms and put the Raven's data crystal into his computer. He started looking at the Golden Throne's new blueprints.
"This version is very different from the original. Better functions, more complexity... and a second throne?"
Having studied the Emperor's first blueprints, Malcador immediately saw the changes. Besides improved abilities and complexity, the design now had two seats of power.
"Does the second throne belong to Mr. Raven?"
(T/L: Wait what ?? Motherf***ker.)
It made sense. As the Imperium's supreme co-ruler, the Raven needed his own seat of power, one fitting for his control over the Webway, time anchor points, and the Imperium's big plans.
Luckily, the Raven had left. If he had heard Malcador's guessing, his reaction would have been... colourful.
Unaware of such talks, the Raven was currently on the Emperor's flagship Grand Design. The ship travelled tens of thousands of light-years from Terra, and he was showing his latest cooking to Valdor, who watched with patient amusement.
...
The 73rd Expedition Fleet had warships, transport ships, and colony ships. A thousand Space Marines from the VI Legion, the Space Wolves, came with them.
Their mission: take control of and settle several northern galactic sectors.
After three weeks travelling through the warp's dangerous currents, they jumped into the Aldorac system. As the fleet came out of the warp into normal space, communication systems received chaotic, harsh signals. Primal screaming filled every frequency.
Commodore Aldo stood on his ship's command bridge, looking grim. He had asked the Adeptus Mechanicus Magos to study the transmissions for patterns or meaning, but he only got confirmation that the screams were random noise.
During a brief quiet moment, a servant brought bitter coffee, no sugar and harsh, exactly as Aldo liked it. The taste reminded him of endless night watches and paperwork from his pre-Imperial service.
Heavy footsteps announced new arrivals. Figures in thick power armour entered the bridge, led by a giant whose helmeted head showed wild, wolf-like features.
"Lord Yuke," Aldo raised his cup in greeting.
"Commodore," the Wolf Lord replied with a short nod.
Yuke commanded a thousand Space Marines enhanced with Gene-Engine implants, a force that could conquer star sectors and turn alien civilisations to ash and memory.
"What brings you to the bridge?" Aldo asked.
"My Chaplain senses problems. Evil lurks in the space around us," Yuke growled. "This system smells wrong."
Aldo put his cup down. "I think the same, but our sensor arrays found nothing when we arrived. The Magos has confirmed repeatedly that only empty space surrounds us."
Fate chose that moment to prove the commodore wrong. Urgent alarms filled the bridge while tactical displays exploded with red warnings. Threat markers surrounded the 73rd Fleet from all directions.
"Report!" Aldo commanded.
"Alien ships, sir," the Information Supervisor announced. His robot eye whirred as it processed data, and panic filled his mechanical voice.
"Impossible! Our scans have found nothing. Are the sensors broken?"
Aldo's fist hit the control panel, making it complain mechanically.
"I must correct you, Commodore," the Magos interrupted. "The sacred instruments work perfectly, as the sensor arrays got no return signals at all."
The machine priest would never allow such insults against the Omnissiah's blessed technology.
[End of Chapter]