Accompanied by the hum of the Orbital Command's alloy gates opening, Alexei, clad in his power armor and flanked by a personal guard and several cloaked Ghosts, stepped out of the building.
The area surrounding the defensive perimeter had long been gnawed into a lifeless wasteland by the Tyranid swarms. Alexei led his group to the front of the positions facing the Pharos mountain range.
Under a crimson, dim sky, endless dust was whipped up by the wind, obscuring their vision. At that moment, a squad of Space Marines appeared in Alexei's view, wearing a mix of black-and-yellow Mark IV and Mark V power armor, walking toward them.
The tall warrior in the lead bore the Chapter badge of the Scythes of the Emperor on his shoulder plate. As the distance closed, Alexei's keen sight caught the blood-stained scratches and gouges on their armor; it was clear they had not been having an easy time lately.
So, these are the Emperor's Angels? Seeing the towering silhouettes of Space Marines for the first time in person, Alexei couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He took a step forward and called out through his power armor's external speakers: "Chapter Master Thorcyra, I am Alexei, Governor of Aiel. We are here to assist in repelling the Tyranid Hive Fleet invasion."
The Space Marine squad paused briefly before continuing their advance toward him. Seeing this, the personal guards beside Alexei went on high alert. He narrowed his eyes, unsure of what these warriors intended to do.
As the Scythes of the Emperor approached, tension began to rise. Just as they were about to enter his inner security perimeter, the Space Marines stopped abruptly.
Within the squad, Thorcyra observed the group before him through his eye-lenses. He had never seen power armor of this specific pattern before. To his eyes, this master-crafted armor seemed no less sophisticated than his own Mark V, and those heavy firearms were of staggering dimensions...
In the silence, Thorcyra removed his helmet as a gesture of sincerity. "Lord Governor, first, allow me to thank you for leading your army here to assist us."
Alexei looked at the warrior with several gold service studs embedded in his cranium. This had to be Chapter Master Thorcyra of the Scythes of the Emperor. He nodded. "It is what any subject of the Imperium should do."
Thorcyra didn't respond immediately but stared into Alexei's eyes. Only after Alexei started to feel a bit perplexed did the Chapter Master speak again: "I wish to know the true purpose of your journey here."
Alexei stepped slightly to the side. "If you are willing to trust us, please come with us."
The Chief Librarian following Thorcyra was about to step forward to say something, but Thorcyra reached out an arm to stop him. He took a deep look at the solemn Alexei and then nodded. "Very well. Lead the way."
The group walked silently through the wind and sand. Alexei and his guards in black CMC power armor led the way, followed by the squad of black-and-yellow Space Marines.
"Chapter Master, we have not yet confirmed the true identity of these people. Is this not too reckless?" the Librarian asked Thorcyra over their private vox-channel. "What if..."
"Moretov, our task is to ensure they are loyal to the Emperor and willing to fight the enemies of mankind on Sotha. Other matters are outside our jurisdiction," Thorcyra interrupted.
"Understood," Moretov nodded and said no more.
Thorcyra watched Alexei and his men leading the way, beginning to contemplate the details of the conversation to follow.
As they reached the half-completed defensive lines, they were astonished by the construction speed of the giant machinery. In just half a day, a massive alloy fortress and countless battlefield trenches were nearly finished.
They also saw the "steel beasts"—the heavy vehicles—returning from the front lines for refueling and repairs. In their eyes, all of this was a manifestation of this legion's formidable combat power.
Upon arriving at the Orbital Command, Alexei opened the heavy alloy doors and turned to signal the Scythes of the Emperor to follow. Thorcyra looked at the massive structure, paused for a moment, and then led his men inside.
They passed through brightly lit corridors to a large briefing room. Alexei gestured for them to take a seat at the massive conference table, but the Space Marines remained standing, refusing to move.
Alexei sighed and got straight to the point. "The true reason I came to Sotha is for... that xenos construct, the Pharos lighthouse..."
As the words fell, the Space Marines reacted as if a sacred taboo had been violated, instantly raising their bolters. The personal guards nearby immediately leveled their weapons in response, and the room was suddenly thick with the scent of a standoff.
To the Scythes of the Emperor, guarding the Pharos was a duty entrusted to them by their Gene-Father—the very reason their Chapter was founded. For this Imperial Governor of unknown origin to suggest laying hands on what they protected caused them to flare up instantly.
Alexei remained calm. He added, "There is no need for such tension. I mean no offense to you, and before that, we will help you hold this world."
Thorcyra lowered his bolt pistol slightly and stared at Alexei. "Why do you seek the Pharos?"
Hearing the Space Marine's muffled voice, Alexei answered, "There is a highly dangerous xenos trapped within. I have been commissioned by Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl of the Adeptus Mechanicus to eliminate it."
Seeing the warriors still shrouded in suspicion, Alexei told them about the C'tan Shard, Zarhulash the Potentate, and the Necron Dynasty sleeping beneath the planet. He knew that even if he didn't tell them now, he would need their assistance later. This matter couldn't be kept secret forever.
After Thorcyra heard Alexei's explanation, he decided to temporarily trust the man. He nodded to his squad, signaling them to stand down.
"What is your plan from here?" Thorcyra asked.
Alexei told them about how he had repelled a small Hive Fleet in his own world and stated that his fleet would eventually return with more reinforcements.
However, the prerequisite was that they had to do their utmost to stall the Tyranid advance until then.
While they were discussing the operational plan with the Chapter Master, an intelligence officer walked in. "General, we have detected a massive Tyranid swarm deep underground, not far from our positions, heading directly for us."
Brand, standing nearby, thought for a moment before issuing orders: "Notify all combat personnel to prepare for battle. Non-combatants are to take cover. Furthermore..."
He glanced at the surrounding Space Marines. "Order the forward combat units to fall back. Our fortifications are largely complete. Our primary strategic objective now is to resist the Tyranid assault centered around these defenses."
"Yes, sir!"
As the officer left, Thorcyra stood up. "Thank you for your help. We will assist you in repelling this swarm," he said, turning to leave the briefing room.
Alexei couldn't help but give a helpless smile. These guys had quite the temper, but at least the outcome was positive—perhaps because they saw that he could truly help them hold out against the Tyranids.
But for now, it was time to deal with those damned bugs.