In his desire to prove his and his legion's effectiveness, Moiran went incredibly far and crossed all conceivable and inconceivable boundaries. However, even on the path of madness, he thought about what had tormented him since the moment his first thought appeared. He never wanted to go with the flow and be someone's plaything, he refused to believe that his fate was predetermined by someone other than himself. Even the Emperor was more of a mentor to him, because Moiran sincerely believed that no one but himself influenced every decision made.
It had to remain that way, and if something were to gain power over him… that was why countermeasures were devised with the participation of the Second Legion. The first level of protection was the will of each candidate, but after the tragedy during the warp jump, everyone understood that the warp could bring anyone to their knees. Therefore, the second level was void collars, implanted directly into the cervical vertebrae and capable of either creating a powerful concentrated null field to weaken psi-activity or simply blowing up the wearer's head.
Moiran handed over control of this to his leper brother without hesitation, despite all the poisonous advice of the new first captain. Too much connected these two legions and Moiran believed that it was better to immediately put a bullet in his temple than to doubt his brother. After all, if you can't be sure of him, then what can you be sure of? There was no point in living in such a world.
The operation to implant these collars lasted for hours. Every second was accompanied by excruciating pain, the central nervous system was exposed and the mind was in agony. We were put into an artificial coma, but even this did not help. An endless nightmare was seen by everyone, while forbidden technologies were slowly being introduced, which would be declared technoheresy and destroyed later. Even after the survivors left the ship of the Second Legion, hellish pain tore their consciousness. Such was the price for strength and eventually another tenth went mad, unable to withstand such a load.
I, along with the other candidates, went straight into the crucible of war. By this point, three planets had fallen one after another, Rangda was giving up one outpost after another, pulling forces back to the main planet and luring our fleet under fire from the space bastions. And with each hour they grew stronger, the element of surprise was fading, and reinforcements were already flying in from other systems. Time was not on our side.
- The devices are going crazy! The third power system is overloaded! - at some point in the main headquarters of Gereliana, panic washed over the communications officer.
He immediately transmitted the data and now even seasoned officers suddenly fell into a stupor. The entire planet was blinded by a veil that appeared out of nowhere. The commander-in-chief immediately gave the order to activate the zero pillars in order to dispel any manifestation of the warp, but to his own surprise he discovered that the pillars were already activated and they were the ones gobbling up the energy generated by hundreds of geothermal stations near the planet's core.
In addition, due to the sabotage of the enemy space marines, the connection with the frame around the star, which was an analogue of the Dyson sphere, was broken. Because of this, an acute energy deficit was supposed to occur within a week. The shortage was already felt now, reserves were depleted and only rolling blackouts made it possible to postpone the collapse of the energy infrastructure. The multi-billion planet that glowed with its entire surface went out, because for the sake of economy, the entire civilian population was deprived of access to electricity.
- FOR ATTACKING HUMANITY!!! - a terrible voice suddenly sounded in their minds. - YOU ARE ALL SENTENCED TO DEATH!!!
And the whole world shuddered, suddenly experiencing everything that the colonies of Humanity, captured by Rangda, experienced. Now it was their turn to fear and hide, because the human species never knew measure. If extermination, then to the root, if loyalty, then to death. Human life is too short to act otherwise.
And then thousands of explosions erupted in space and the upper atmosphere. The entire nuclear arsenal was used by the fleet of the Eleventh Legion. And now, rushing through the anti-aircraft barrage, the first bombs began to raise the temperature on the planet. The climate changed instantly and only under the heavenly domes did a semblance of peace still reign. Otherwise, the population of Rangda was shrinking by several million per second.
But of course the main cities and all military installations survived, which were protected much better than civilian buildings. And although the vast planetary shields were discharged, each city had its own personal ion barriers, as well as all the military, in exoskeletons and other means of protection from weapons of mass destruction, had already descended into the bunkers. They accumulated anger and hatred, expecting a battle in which the strong would trample the weak into the dust and ashes left from his ideals.
There was no talk of capitulation, because Rangda lived by war and only total destruction could rid this damned empire of its ambitions.
"It hurts so much… Shit!" I growled, and then screamed from the impulses that were tearing my mind apart.
"Psychic energy surge detected. Danger level raised to two," a voice from the collar rang out throughout the Knight's cabin.
The pain caused bursts of mental activity and I could no longer contain them. The maximum level was tenth, upon reaching it I would be liquidated. However, according to the assurances of the Primarch of the Second Legion, I would die at the sixth or seventh, maximum at the eighth from the strengthening of the zero field. Or from the burning out of the nervous system during the fight. In general, there were many options for dying, even from a heart attack or neuropsychic stress, which would entail a whole set of symptoms of traumatic shock.
But for now I held on, moreover, my Knight was already rushing from the heavens into the thick of hell, which meant that a request had to be made. Switching the channel, I contacted the ship of the Second Legion, personally with the Primarch, who was watching both his brother, who was opening a rift in the warp, and each of the candidates.
"I request the barriers be removed up to the fifth level," I didn't mince words, although I wanted to remove the barriers up to the eighth, while the smoke screen began to stretch below.
— The reason?
— I wish to cover my Knight with crystal armor to survive the carnage at the landing zone.
- I give permission.
The pain immediately disappeared and the pressure of the collar receded. In many ways, the relaxation for me was due to a good personal matter. I had been using psychic energy for a long time, fighting both in Camelot and using these powers in battles inside the Knight. I was not planning to go beyond the edge yet, just as I did not request access to the hand of trump cards issued from Moiran's vault.
Therefore, the Primarch of the Second Legion did not argue or refuse, although he began to watch me much more closely. After all, with the exception of the Primarch, I was the eleventh to make this request. Before that, the detachment of Space Marines that participated in the boarding of the solar station also decided to use the power of their damned swords. However, most of them were still coping on their own, although they had not yet been thrown into hell.
My capsule turned into a fiery comet even on the approach, the squall of anti-aircraft guns tore apart the casing and cumulative jets burst inside one after another. Thousands of fragments from exploding missiles turned the capsule into a colander and it hit the ground heavily as a pile of scrap metal, finally flying into pieces.
However, even after all this, the enemy opened fire from all guns, trying to prevent even accidental survival. Dozens of tank shells and large-caliber bursts began to cut through the darkness of the ice cap of the south pole. Even a smoke screen did not save from the barrage of fire. However, immediately after a hard landing, the servos humming from the tension forced the Knight to rush forward, bringing death to the enemies of Humanity.
Even on the approach, the shells exploded due to the counter explosion of crystal crystals, which served as dynamic armor. And then, mixed with metal, a whirlwind of fragments of crystal and steel struck the infantry under my feet. However, after a minute of combat and two turrets blown up by a plasma spear, my ears were pierced by an ultrasonic signal.
"Level six danger," the collar announced, starting to burn out the nervous system with an electrical impulse.
"What's going on, Mordred?" the Primarch of the Second Legion immediately came on the line.
"It's okay," I growled, mentally forcing the bolter guns on my head to open harassing fire towards the enemies.
— Evasion detected, recommendation to raise the danger level to level seven. High risk of the wearer's mind being subjugated to unknown forces, — the collar immediately informed, which infuriated me. — Emotional state: unstable. Request for action?
"Everything is under control," I repeated, reducing the Knight's crystal coating and abandoning the dynamic armor, replacing it with a simple solid coating. "But at this rate, I'll die before I can do anything. I need all my strength and not to be bothered with every little thing."
"This is no small matter," the Primarch of the Second Legion replied dryly. "Request to increase the threat level denied."
- Can…
— Request to remove level six barriers denied.
The primarch's words made sense, since I hadn't even discharged my ion shields yet. There was little point in such a sudden transition, and besides, the primarch was currently monitoring my condition, deciding what to do with me next. But if I stayed sane longer, I would probably get permission.
- What's going on? - a familiar voice suddenly rang out and a Birdie appeared right on my lap.
The warp rift was growing in the sky, its energy growing stronger with each passing second. The connection between the physical world and the immaterium was growing, and the veil was fading, threatening to let daemons into reality. However, my power was beginning to grow, as was my madness. But the most terrifying thing was Tzeentch, who was beginning to increase his attention. He sensed that history was approaching its climax, and it was important for him to see everything in the smallest detail.
The collar immediately transferred itself to the sixth level of danger, because this time the approval of the primarch was not required due to the unambiguity of what was happening. I could not resist the will of Tzeentch and was forced to simply endure the pain that burned my mind and nervous system, causing my body to go numb.
And suddenly an explosion shook my Knight and a plasma cloud slowly began to spread from the left. I instantly turned around, but had not yet established contact with the target, but was already rushing straight at it, having previously activated the second smoke screen, which at least helped a little, especially my allies, among whom there were far fewer survivors than among the Knights. The breakthrough was difficult.
And after closing the distance, I flew straight into the wall of the ice citadel. This time the enemy fortification did not give in, because it was twenty meters thick. The reinforced concrete stubbornly held and I was forced to switch to destroying the embrasures and the defenders inside. Bolters thundered and a plasma lance flickered. I could not break through inside, but the enemy could not force me to leave the wall.
At that very moment, infantry began to scurry under my feet, under the command of the Space Marines. The battle had just begun.
*
Moiran stood on the bridge of his ship and watched as strings of missiles rushed from the ship to the planet. At the same moment, the enemy fleet fought both with the daemons on board, and with the boarding parties of the Space Marines, who reached their targets under the cover of the warp storm. The entire arsenal accumulated over the years of the Great Crusade was put into action, and the most terrible of all were the dark artefacts that the primarch himself used.
"Vile Moiran," the demon prince's voice hissed from the sword behind his back. "You attacked me in a crowd like a coward. You wouldn't have been able to deal with me one on one, you're a weakling and your entire tribe is the same."
Moiran did not answer and silently watched the battle at the south pole. Quite a significant force had landed there, but only after an hour of fighting Moiran suddenly realized that it was a trap. Right now, a titanic explosion had sounded under the glacier, splitting it into two parts. All the captured fortifications ceased to play any role and giant waves carried even the Knights to the bottom.
A terrible and extremely unpleasant loss, but the glacier itself was too large and its fragments are still acceptable for landing new forces and placing heavy weapons there. It will only be necessary to drop a couple of nuclear bombs in the nearby seas to destroy or disorient the enemy submarine forces.
- But though I am far stronger than you, there are those who are unimaginably higher than me. You already know of their existence, Moiran, - the sword continued to hiss. - And they watch you, assessing whether you are worthy of meeting them. The force that moves the warp itself. Those who can be called gods without exaggeration.
"Gods do not exist," Moiran answered harshly.
- Moiran-Moiran, how can you believe in something like that after everything you've seen? Do you really think that some Law rules everything? No, They create the Law and subjugate it to themselves.
- Keep your lies to yourself, daemon. You and your stronger friends are nothing more than an annoying obstacle in the path of Mankind. No matter how many entities the warp produces, you will all fall, one by one.
"How enormous your delusion is," suddenly another whisper burst forth from the amulet around Moiran's neck. "Are you really incapable of recognizing that there are beings of a completely different scale?"
And the brilliance of rainbow sparks blinded the primarch, but no one on the bridge noticed this, continuing to look at the screens.
- And you know, I like your passion for change. - The amulet began to shimmer with all possible and impossible colors. - But this storm the size of one planet, not even a system... it's somehow petty, Moiran. I can give you much greater power. I'm sure you'll be able to find a use for it.
"Go away, Liar," the sword hissed. "This is not your prey."
But the Liar did not listen to his rival and continued to carry out his master's orders. Dark dances began to play on the walls and ceiling, entities of incredible strength fought each other, but the mortals seemed to be blinded. They felt that something dangerous was happening, but they attributed it to fear of possible defeat in the battle with Rangda. And because of this, they studied the data screens even more closely, sending more and more information to their allies.
They didn't understand that something irreparable was happening right now, right next to them, determining the future of the galaxy for the next ten thousand years. And Moiran himself didn't understand what he was doing, because he didn't believe in the existence of dark gods. Demons and sorcerers - yes, they existed and used the power of the warp. Gods? No, of course they couldn't exist.
And the gods knew it, and they did not show themselves, allowing Moiran to lead himself to the brink of destruction, whispering poisonous words through his servants, knowing that the words would not be taken seriously by the Primarch. Every statement from the Daemon Prince of the Dark Prince only made Moiran more likely to deny the existence of the Dark Prince himself. How ironic, when the Emperor knew all this and could have spoken of it directly. Not just about the dangers of the warp, but about those far greater than himself.
But the Emperor did not say, because in the eyes of his own children, He had to be the strongest. Incredibly proud and self-confident, he was hurting the Emperor no less than Leo and Magnus. And soon he would personally arrive here to personally play the role of a pawn in the game of the dark gods, who had calculated everything from the moment the deal was made.
- MOIRAN!!! - Shai suddenly literally burst onto the bridge, jumping over the fallen new captain of the first company and not killed by the terminators only because he himself was their commander.
"How dare you barge in here?!" Moiran immediately became indignant and turned around.
- Your vox is not working!
"What nonsense, I contacted my brother a minute ago!" Moiran shouted as he suddenly realized that he had been distracted in his thoughts for much longer, and that his vox had somehow failed.
"Fools, I am bored with your games!" came a cry, the meaning of which no mortal understood, but it was this cry that tore the warp storm apart and amplified it several times, giving rise to endless and senseless violence.
- Go away, Shai, do not distract the Primarch from his thoughts! The success of the entire company depends on his decisions! - the new captain of the first company, who had screwed up and underestimated Shai, allowing him to penetrate the bridge, said indignantly, standing up. - You have already failed our father once! Are you thinking of doing it twice?! Get out now or...
"No, let him stay," Moiran said unexpectedly, after which he received a new vox-transmitter from the naval officer and continued to command the siege of Gereliana, also restoring communication with his brother, who had been recording strange anomalies all this time and could not contact Moiran.
The traitor, full of poison, had no choice but to remain silent and accept the fact that the one he was unable to blind had also appeared on the bridge.
*
Below is some brief news regarding the posting and the new fanfic.
Well, let's get back to publishing every 2-3 days. If that doesn't suit you, there's boosti, where there are already 70+ chapters and the third volume is in full swing. I understand that this is a bit unpleasant, but I'll be honest as always, the series is being written and is being written steadily solely thanks to the support of boosti subscribers. Without them, you simply wouldn't have seen these two volumes, and that's why there's a daily posting on boosti. Unfortunately, I can't give anything else in exchange for a boosti subscription.
So if you like the series and would like to see it finished, I recommend subscribing to boost again. If you have the opportunity, of course, you don't need to spend your last hundred, it's better to spend it on yourself and your loved ones. But if it's not your last hundred... you can bring closer the day when I'll be writing full-time and creating even more content for you.
And if you suddenly subscribe, you will immediately get access to all the published chapters. Also, your name will be at the end of the book, in the thanks that you have already seen at the end of the first volume and which will be at the end of each book. Well, in addition to everything, actually for the sake of which I started writing all this, upon reaching 250 subscribers , the second fanfic will be launched , without any changes in the layout of this one. And the subscribers themselves, that is, you, will choose the topic and fandom.
I demonstrated responsibility and stability by laying out the chapters, as well as in general there are no prerequisites for me to abandon something halfway. Therefore, everything is in your hands. If you have a dream to read a fanfic about a Ghost fighting necrons, an Inquisitor in Hogwarts, a Kriegman killing Jedi with a shovel or technomorons carrying the word of the Omnissiah in any of the worlds, then subscribe, as soon as we get 250 subscribers, I will immediately download a blog where you will offer your ideas (any universe, any idea and concept) and then we will hold a vote.
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