Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor

Several days later.

Eden and Faehra strolled along a road paved with blackstone.

Before them stretched a seemingly endless expanse of domed structures fashioned from silver living metal.

They lacked the imposing grandeur of pyramidal tombs. Instead, countless metal pillars enclosed layer after layer of space, creating a multitude of isolated dimensional enclosures.

Every enclosure contained a different environment. Some held volcanic lava fields, others frozen plains, and still others sprawling forests. Countless natural landscapes gathered from different worlds could be found here.

"A Kalachu volcanic behemoth? What an interesting creature."

Eden gazed at an exposed shelf of rock beside a lava-filled volcano, where a pitch-black winged reptile lay curled up.

It was sound asleep, snoring loudly as sparks of sulfurous flame drifted from its mouth with every breath.

Eden couldn't help but marvel at the sight.

Faehra's Royal Menagerie contained ecosystems and creatures collected from thousands of civilized worlds.

Using phase-dimensional technology to build a zoo was extravagance on an almost absurd scale.

Perhaps only a Necron Phaerakh, blessed with eternal life, could possess the time and resources necessary to painstakingly construct such an enormous menagerie.

In short, this youthful Phaerakh was immensely wealthy—even by the standards of most Necron rulers.

Once the war is over, I'll transform an entire star system and build a zoo many times larger than this one!

That was the thought running through Eden's mind.

Apart from constructing monumental wonders in his own image, the Savior had another hobby: developing tourism and cultural attractions to enrich the lives of the Imperium's citizens.

It was a habit he had brought with him from his old home. How could anyone claim to be building a civilization without also creating tourist attractions?

He had even considered recreating famous sites from ancient Terra, such as the city of Rome or the great metropolises of the pre-Industrial Age.

Or perhaps I could recreate twenty-first-century ancient Terra as a tourist attraction.

Our current technology could easily accomplish it. Then we could populate it with the Adeptus Mechanicus's rapidly grown vat-clones as NPCs.

They could be born on this supposed Earth and live out their entire lives there, never realizing that their planet was merely a zoo.

Visitors could assume false identities, enter the world, live among them, and explore. It would give the Imperium's citizens a chance to experience and remember humanity's past.

Eden carefully considered the feasibility of the idea.

After thinking it over, however, he decided against it. Even if the inhabitants were merely clones, the whole arrangement felt too inhumane. Intelligent automatons would make better NPCs.

Compared to this cruel universe, Eden—a young man from ancient Terra's twenty-first century—still possessed rather high moral standards.

His thoughts then shifted to how Zabok and the others might eventually transport some of Faehra's mechanical facilities back to Imperial territory for humanity to study.

"My dear, what are you thinking about?" Faehra asked softly, looking at the noble "Necrontyr" prince beside her.

The youthful Phaerakh savored the tremors running through her data-streams, enjoying the experience known as love. Never before had she felt anything so wonderful.

I'm thinking about how to squeeze money out of you...

That was Eden's honest answer—though only in his mind.

Over the past few days, he had combined his identity as a Necrontyr prince with the emotion virus and successfully won the youthful Phaerakh over.

Their relationship had progressed at astonishing speed. It was already beginning to resemble a tragic romance in which they would live and die for each other.

Eden's current identity was that of an exiled prince from an ancient Necrontyr dynasty. His parents had been devoured by the Nightbringer after undergoing biotransference, giving him an appropriately tragic past.

Yet despite suffering such a cruel fate, he had refused to submit. Instead, he had fought against destiny itself, swearing to reclaim the souls and bodies of every Necrontyr from the C'tan.

Thus, Eden—the ill-fated Necrontyr prince—had risked being devoured while hunting for C'tan shards. He had ventured into the unnatural realm and endured hundreds of thousands of years of hardship before finally discovering a way to restore their souls and bodies.

The solution was to harness a newborn god and use its divine authority to reclaim what the C'tan had stolen from the Necrontyr.

"Lady Faehra, once I discovered a way to restore our souls, I didn't delay for a single moment. I came straight to you.

"I only want to save you—to save your soul.

"I yearn to save all the Necrontyr, but more than any of them, I long to save you.

"Ever since the night we first met at that banquet, your image has remained engraved upon my heart. Nothing could ever erase it.

"Perhaps you've already forgotten everything. Perhaps you no longer remember that our paths once crossed...but I have never forgotten you. Not for a single moment, Lady Faehra!"

That was what Eden had told the youthful Phaerakh at the time.

It had been extraordinarily melodramatic.

Of course, it was all a carefully constructed lie with just enough evidence behind it to sound plausible. When dealing with a noble lady, subtlety wasn't always enough. Sometimes, one had to bring out the heavy artillery.

Most Necron rulers had lost large portions of their memories anyway. There was no way they could remember every minor detail from millions of years ago.

In short, Eden's current persona was that of a melancholy but devoted Necrontyr prince who had sworn to save his entire race—as well as his beloved.

That identity was irresistibly attractive to a youthful Phaerakh who yearned to recover her soul and obtain salvation.

He had therefore formed an emotional bond with her very quickly and gained the upper hand in their relationship.

After regaining her emotions, the Necron maiden approached love with overwhelming passion. After all, she had been waiting for something like this for countless ages.

"My dear, have I done something to upset you?"

When Eden remained silent and failed to answer, Faehra grew anxious. An inexplicable ache of sorrow welled up inside her.

"Do you like that Kalachu volcanic behemoth? I can give it to you as a gift. No...I-I'll give you the entire menagerie. Would you like that?"

She was even willing to surrender her beloved Royal Menagerie, a place she had spent tens of thousands of years constructing, to the one she loved.

Eden had deliberately withheld his response.

It was a method of emotional push and pull, designed to create uncertainty and intensify her feelings.

The handsome con artists who ran pig-butchering romance scams always acted extraordinarily devoted, but they never behaved like spineless sycophants. They maintained the upper hand throughout the relationship, then milked their targets dry.

Of course, in this cruel universe—especially for the Necrons, who had lost their souls and emotions—feelings were more precious than almost anything else.

Faehra was like a drowning woman. She would seize this newfound emotion and affection at any cost.

More importantly, Eden wielded the Authority of Pleasure. Even though the blackstone veil had greatly weakened its effects, he could still exert a degree of influence.

The two of them simply weren't playing at the same level.

"I was thinking about how to save the Necrontyr."

Eden gently patted the youthful Phaerakh's head and spoke in a warm voice.

"This menagerie is something you cherish. How could I possibly accept it? Having you is enough for me."

In truth, he intended to have everything.

Once he completely won over the youthful Phaerakh, everything she possessed would naturally become his.

At the current rate, the entire Faehra Dynasty was accepting the emotion virus and rapidly assimilating into the Sacred Soul Cult.

Once their faith had taken root, even the Phaerakh herself would be powerless to stop it.

Of course, she would never oppose it. Once Necrons regained their emotions, it was nearly impossible for them to willingly surrender those feelings again.

"My dear, let's go see the other exhibits. I've recently acquired so many new animals!"

Faehra grew even happier upon hearing his response. Taking Eden by the hand, she led him deeper into the Royal Menagerie.

This was the life she had always dreamed of: meeting another Necrontyr noble whom she could truly love, then ruling a dynasty with him while they toured the menagerie together.

The youthful Phaerakh was already imagining herself forming a new royal family with the Necrontyr prince named Charles, after which the two of them would rule the dynasty side by side.

I hope the truth never comes out. Otherwise, you'll probably hack me to pieces.

Eden watched Faehra's buoyant figure from behind and sighed softly.

The youthful Phaerakh was becoming increasingly like a living being. Her emotions were growing richer, stronger, and more vibrant.

Perhaps it had something to do with how young she had been when she underwent biotransference. She had retained most of her memories and dreams.

In truth, after spending so much time with her, Eden had developed a rather favorable impression of Faehra.

Besides, he wasn't deceiving her entirely. He had genuinely restored her ability to experience emotions.

That was something countless Necrons desired above all else.

Eden followed her as the youthful Phaerakh spoke about herself, recalling ancient banquets, grand celebrations, and the kind of partner she had once dreamed of meeting.

Now that Faehra possessed emotions again, she could feel the joy and happiness contained within those memories.

They were precious experiences unique to sapient life—treasures that she and countless other Necrons had searched desperately to recover.

Even the simplest sensations of life were unattainable luxuries to the Necrons.

Fortunately, she could experience them once more, even if only faintly.

They entered the grassland enclosure.

Warm sunlight bathed the area as a gentle breeze sent ripples through the grass. Flocks of sheep-like creatures lay scattered across the meadow in groups of three or five.

Faehra stepped into the waist-high grass.

She raised her face, spread her arms wide, and immersed herself in the enclosure's natural environment.

She treasured this indescribably precious experience of life.

"Lord Charles, I can feel the sun and the wind now, just as I could before. What a wonderful sensation.

"You gave all of this back to me. It's the most precious gift imaginable—just like your very existence."

Faehra turned and gazed at Eden, undisguised affection shining in her emerald eyes.

"I...I'm willing to rule this dynasty with you."

The youthful Phaerakh summoned her courage and confessed her love, anxiously awaiting his answer.

Her nervousness had reached its limit. Her data-streams trembled violently as affection, shyness, and worry intertwined within her.

In the culture of the Necrontyr nobility, a noble's willingness to share their dynasty with another meant they had made an unwavering decision to form a royal family with that person.

Once established, that covenant would end only in death.

Faehra was terrified that the Necrontyr prince named Charles might reject her.

How dreadful and heartbreaking would that be?

This is exactly what I've been waiting for!

Eden was delighted.

This was a monumental breakthrough.

Suppressing his excitement, he took Faehra's hand.

"My dear, I want the same thing.

"The Necrontyr will find salvation, and so will we. Together, we will save every life the C'tan have harmed..."

This meant the Sacred Soul Cult finally had a secure base of operations. Eden would also gain complete control over the Faehra Dynasty and all its wealth.

It was perfect!

After receiving her beloved's answer, Faehra immediately threw herself into Eden's arms.

Her emotion swelled to such intensity that even her living-metal body began to tremble.

Eden embraced the youthful Phaerakh. For a moment, he could almost believe he was holding a beautiful, living woman. The only difference was the absence of warmth.

The adaptability of living metal truly was astonishing.

After a brief moment of intimacy, Faehra shyly slipped out of his embrace. She took his hand again and began chattering excitedly.

Hand in hand, they continued admiring the beautiful worlds preserved within the Royal Menagerie.

"Daemons?"

They hadn't gone far when Eden detected a faint trace of Chaos.

A filth-ridden enclosure lay a short distance ahead.

Inside the phase-space formed by silver pillars of living metal was a group of listless daemons.

The Royal Menagerie even kept Chaos Daemons as captive animals. Eden could see a Greater Daemon of Khorne among them.

Faehra had placed these creatures from the unnatural realm on display like zoo animals.

To a powerful Phaerakh, daemons were little more than playthings. They posed no meaningful threat.

This was especially true when the Necrons possessed technology capable of suppressing the Warp. Under such conditions, daemons were no match for them.

"The blackstone veil has an incredible effect on these Chaos Daemons, doesn't it?"

Eden entered the phase-space and nudged one of the gasping daemons on the ground with his foot.

They all looked half-dead. Even the Greater Daemon of Khorne resembled an exhausted refugee who had spent every last ounce of strength.

There wasn't the slightest spark of vitality left in any of them.

When the Silent King's blackstone veil had spread across this region, the daemons had desperately attempted to escape.

Those unlucky enough to be trapped had suffered an especially miserable fate. They could no longer even return to the Warp.

After remaining in the material galaxy for so long, these Chaos Daemons had lost their supply of empyric energy. Combined with the blackstone veil's contra-immaterial energies, that deprivation caused them to weaken by the day.

This is exactly the kind of advanced Warp-suppression technology I need. Once we acquire it and adapt it for our own use, humanity will be able to establish colonies in the Warp without fear!

Eden was thrilled.

The only problem was that the blackstone veil's core facilities were located in the Xindu System, deep within the Silent Zone.

That was the Silent King's stronghold. Eden wouldn't be able to break into it anytime soon, and no one knew what terrifying ancient weapons had been stationed there.

Until he was confident of victory, Eden had no intention of sending the forces of the Imperium or the Sacred Soul Cult to their deaths.

After Eden and Faehra finished watching the Chaos Daemons perform an act in which they swallowed pygmy swine alive, they continued touring the menagerie.

This private time together was an excellent opportunity to deepen their relationship.

It also kept them away from Faehra's Royal Guards, Necron Lords, Astromancers, and other members of her advisory council, preventing them from interfering with Eden's schemes.

Before long, Eden came upon an enormous circular phase-space containing a familiar sight.

Inside was a human city, complete with human inhabitants.

They did not appear to be doing well.

"These humans are the Royal Menagerie's latest acquisitions. I purchased them from Obris the Slaver," Faehra explained.

Obris had originally intended to deliver these humans to Illuminor Szeras's biological laboratories, but Faehra had purchased them at an exorbitant price and brought them to her beloved Royal Menagerie instead.

"Admiral Maren?"

Inside the human enclosure, Eden spotted a familiar face.

(End of Chapter)

[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]

[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]

[Thanks for Reading!]