Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor

Eden remembered Groupmaster Marran. He had met the high-ranking Imperial Navy officer more than two hundred years ago.

At the time, Guilliman had assembled the Indomitus Crusade, and Marran had served as the commander of Battle Group Kallides of Fleet Primus.

He had led hundreds of warships, accompanied by the Ultramarines, into Imperium Nihilus to reclaim lost territory, eventually pushing deep into the fringes of the Ultima Segmentum.

It had been the Imperium's first true effort to reclaim its fallen domains.

Time really flies.

Two hundred years have passed, and the Imperium has undergone earth-shattering changes.

Yet part of the Indomitus Crusade left behind by the former Regent is still following orders issued two centuries ago, fighting for the Imperium among distant stars and deep within dark, fallen regions...

Eden couldn't help but feel emotional.

There was no avoiding such situations. The Imperium's territory was simply too vast. Even traveling at the speed of light, it would take a hundred thousand years to cross it.

That fact alone demonstrated the importance of Warp travel and the Webway. Without them, Eden could never hope to govern an empire as vast as humanity's.

Even with those advantages, however, there were still many places beyond the Imperium's reach, especially along its unreclaimed frontiers.

Fleets belonging to the Indomitus Crusade and the Crusade of Hope continued to fight in those regions, slowly reclaiming lost territory.

In some isolated corners of the galaxy, the Horus Heresy was technically still being fought.

Neither the Loyalists nor the Traitors there knew that Horus was dead or that the war had ended.

Groupmaster Marran, along with the Ultramarines, Sisters of Battle, Astra Militarum troops, and other forces trapped within this phase-space, had continued fighting on those distant frontiers.

They had been unable to reestablish contact with the Imperium and had practically been forgotten.

The Pariah Nexus is simply too unusual. These warriors ventured too deep into Necron territory, and their Astropaths had no way to send any messages.

The Imperium has probably already listed Marran's battle group as missing or presumed destroyed.

That was Eden's conclusion.

The Indomitus Crusade belonged to the old Imperium and could only rely on Astropaths to transmit information.

The New Imperium's armies were different. They could use the psychic network created by the Machine Goddess to communicate with minimal delay, while the Dawn City Webway allowed them to travel swiftly across enormous distances.

"Xenos, humanity will never submit!

"The Regent's Indomitus Crusade will reach this place, and all of you will tremble before his thunderous wrath!"

Marran glared furiously at the two towering Necron rulers beyond the phase barrier.

Damnable xenos!

They had dared to lock human beings inside a zoo. It was an intolerable humiliation.

These warriors would rather die in battle than remain imprisoned here, exhibited like monkeys for the amusement of high-ranking xenos.

The prisoners firmly believed that the Regent would never forget them, nor would the Imperium.

Someday, humanity's fleets would arrive and Imperial boots would tread upon this place, freeing them from captivity.

Then they would settle their accounts with these xenos properly!

To Eden, however, Marran's words only made it sound as though his village still hadn't gotten an internet connection.

Apart from scattered remnants along the frontier and units that had gone missing, the Indomitus Crusade had largely been disbanded.

Of course, the New Imperium was still searching for lost Indomitus fleets so that their soldiers could be brought back into the fold as quickly as possible.

Guilliman himself had effectively retired to farm and develop his realm. Unless a major war broke out, he spent most of his time overseeing construction throughout the Five Hundred Worlds.

More importantly, considering the strength of the enemies within the Pariah Nexus, even if Guilliman arrived with the main body of the Indomitus Crusade, he would still get hammered into the ground.

There was no possibility of victory.

In fact, Guilliman had attempted to advance into the Pariah Nexus more than a century earlier.

Then he had encountered the Silent King and immediately started sweating bullets.

In the end, he had executed a strategic withdrawal through a Webway portal opened by an Aeldari Farseer.

Afterward, Eden's good brother had explained that the Indomitus Crusade needed to focus on the larger strategic picture. Its forces had to stabilize the Imperium's core territories before committing their strength to a distant frontier.

In truth, even while sweating and trembling in the Silent King's presence, Guilliman hadn't backed down in the slightest. His verbal counterattack had been so fierce that he had nearly lost his temper and charged straight at the Necron ruler.

Guilliman had never been one to cower.

Fortunately, the Aeldari had dragged him away before the confrontation could end in tragedy.

The Farseer had nearly pissed himself when he felt the Silent King's ancient presence descend upon the battlefield. He had come dangerously close to dropping to his knees.

He knew exactly how terrifying that supreme being truly was.

According to the Farseer's visions, if Guilliman led the Indomitus Crusade in a head-on attack, the Silent King would reduce them all to unrecoverable space debris.

Guilliman himself would die permanently.

Worse still, his death would provoke the Emperor into leaving the Golden Throne prematurely, unleashing an even greater catastrophe from which not even the Aeldari would escape.

The Silent King was powerful enough to fight the Emperor at his peak in a battle to the death. He was far beyond Guilliman's ability to confront.

The supreme Necron ruler had even brought a Godslayer Spear capable of piercing and killing a C'tan. He was prepared to kill Guilliman and then stab the Emperor for good measure.

He feared neither the Warp nor the Emperor's power. If the Godslayer Spear could kill a C'tan, destroying a piece of psychic beef jerky would be even easier.

Ultimately, the terrified Farseer had opened a portal as quickly as possible. Yvraine and the Ynnari had then dragged Guilliman away before he could lose his head and rush the Silent King.

That had averted a catastrophe and saved Guilliman's life.

As for why the Silent King hadn't pursued them?

Eden believed that the Necron ruler simply hadn't had the time to become entangled in a prolonged conflict with humanity. He had been busy resolving the internal divisions among the Necron dynasties.

After Guilliman and humanity's main forces withdrew from the Pariah Nexus, the Indomitus Crusade elements that had already advanced deep into the region—such as Marran's battle group—were effectively stranded there without any hope of reinforcements.

No one believed they had any chance of surviving.

It had been unavoidable. Humanity hadn't possessed the power to resolve the situation at the time, much less confront the Silent King.

Eden sighed softly.

This indirectly confirmed the Silent King's overwhelming strength. The Necron ruler likely possessed ancient artifacts capable of destroying even Eden, the Savior.

The Godslayer Spear alone, a known weapon capable of killing a C'tan, could probably stab him to death as well.

That was why Eden hadn't launched a direct attack. Instead, he had decided to win over a large Necron army first.

Attacking head-on carried far too much risk.

Ganging up on the Silent King was clearly the superior strategy.

If I hadn't redirected our strategic objectives toward the Pariah Nexus, loyal Imperial warriors like Marran would probably have remained imprisoned forever—or died beneath a Necron assault.

Even more human civilization worlds would have had their souls completely extinguished under the blackstone veil's influence.

Thinking of the civilized worlds trapped inside the Pariah Nexus, Eden couldn't suppress his concern.

As the blackstone veil continued to expand and intensify, the humans on those worlds would eventually lose the ability to endure it and perish in a mass extinction.

Quadrillions of humans would die, and the number of victims would only continue to increase.

No matter what, Eden had to save those suffering lives!

He knew he needed to accelerate his plans. At the very least, he had to begin dismantling the outer blackstone pylons and save some of the trapped humans.

"These humans are very crude and barbaric," Faehra said softly, resting her head against him.

Her statement sounded extraordinarily ironic to Eden.

How could the Necrons—an entire race of killing machines—possibly have the nerve to call humans barbaric?

Then Eden remembered some of the old Imperium's more extreme atrocities and found himself unable to argue. Humanity could indeed be more barbaric than the Necrons at times.

Perhaps, from the Necrons' perspective, humans resembled a more vicious breed of honey badger. They spent every day shouting about killing something, then charged forward while roaring, "For the Emperor!"

"I'm rather fond of these human life-forms. The new god doesn't only favor the Necrontyr. His blessings will also be bestowed upon other sapient beings who possess souls," Eden said.

He looked at the furiously cursing Groupmaster Marran and felt somewhat reassured.

These people were still energetic. The fact that they had enough strength left to hurl insults was a good sign.

Faehra viewed these humans as pets, so naturally she wouldn't treat them too harshly. She wouldn't want them to die.

"My dear, would you like me to release these humans?" Faehra asked, nestling against Eden's chest.

After learning the Sacred Soul Cult's teachings, she understood that deliberately killing or torturing sapient beings with souls was an act of blasphemy against the new god.

More importantly, Faehra was willing to do anything for this Necrontyr prince—her beloved.

He is different, the youthful Phaerakh thought.

"There's no need. Let them remain inside the menagerie for now," Eden replied softly.

He had already noticed that the blackstone veil was affecting Marran and the others despite the phase barrier separating them from the outside.

Releasing them before the nearby blackstone pylons had been dismantled would do them no favors.

It would be better to wait until the area was safe.

"You're worried that the blackstone veil might threaten these little humans, aren't you?"

Faehra was exceptionally perceptive. She wasn't foolish; her emotions had merely left the youthful Necron Phaerakh somewhat blinded by love.

"Not only these humans. The blackstone veil created by that traitor, the Silent King, harms every living being with a soul.

"Including the Necrontyr."

Eden adopted a sorrowful expression, as though grieving for all living things.

"The blackstone veil's radiation obstructs the spread of the new god's authority and interferes with the expansion of our faith. It prevents the souls of the Necrontyr from healing.

"It harms everything."

He directly threw out an outrageous claim: the blackstone pylons emitted terrifying radiation that prevented Necron souls from being restored.

That would push every Necron who yearned to recover their soul into opposition against the Silent King.

The Sacred Soul Cult, meanwhile, would welcome them with open arms.

"The Silent King's mistake robbed the Necrontyr of their souls, and now he seeks to extinguish our final hope..."

As expected, Faehra raised her head and gazed at the black specks hanging in the void above them.

Those were the blackstone pylons floating along the outer edges of the star system.

Unconcealed disgust rose within her.

To Necrons who desperately yearned to recover their souls, the blackstone pylons represented an intolerable obstacle.

She looked at Eden.

"My dear, let's dismantle every blackstone pylon near this star system.

"Our Sacred Soul Cult will win over more Phaerons and Phaerakhs. Together, we'll oppose that tyrant."

Faehra understood that dismantling the blackstone pylons and halting the blackstone veil's expansion meant opposing the Silent King.

It meant war.

But she wasn't afraid.

Without realizing it, the youthful Phaerakh had already come to view herself, Eden—the Necrontyr prince—and the divine emissary as parts of a single whole.

According to Necrontyr culture, they had already formed a covenant and established a royal family. Naturally, they would confront everything together.

"I'm very glad you feel that way. Next, I'll explain the Sacred Soul Cult's expansion plan."

Eden took Faehra's hand, thoroughly satisfied.

"More than that, we must also transform our territory and restore it to its original appearance.

"The culture of the Necrontyr deserves to be revived..."

According to Eden's plans, the Sacred Soul Cult needed to do more than expand its territory and absorb new followers.

It also had to launch a cultural renaissance and restore the traditions of the Necrontyr.

That was an extremely important step. Reviving their culture would give Eden the opportunity to quietly insert his own ideas into it.

He needed to reshape Necrontyr culture and make their race as harmless as possible.

It was something that absolutely had to be done.

Faehra grew even happier upon hearing this.

She had always longed to return to the glorious age of the Necrontyr and experience the life they had once known.

She wasn't alone.

Countless Necrons shared the same desire. They all yearned for the glory of their past.

...

"What in the Throne's name was that?!"

After Eden and Faehra—the two supposed Necron rulers—departed, Marran spat on the ground and resumed cursing.

They had actually been forced to watch two attractive Necron xenos flirt and flaunt their romance right in front of them.

It was far too bizarre.

Hadn't Imperial scholars claimed that these xenos were incapable of emotion?

"Something new may be happening to these xenos. Unfortunately, we have no means of transmitting this information," an Ultramarines Librarian said.

They had been stripped of their weapons and armor, while their psychic abilities were suppressed. Escaping the phase-space was nearly impossible.

"Emperor preserve us. The greater threat is that abominable veil the xenos created.

"If this continues, the Astra Militarum soldiers will lose their souls and die completely.

"Even we won't be able to withstand it for much longer..."

The Ultramarines Chaplain gazed at the listless people sprawled across the ground a short distance away.

This phase-space contained at least tens of thousands of Astra Militarum soldiers.

Under the blackstone veil's influence, they weakened with each passing day.

Even the Space Marines could feel a faint weakness creeping into their souls.

It was an irreversible deterioration.

"Damn it. I only hope that abominable veil hasn't spread into more of the Imperium's territory," Groupmaster Marran said, shuddering as he recalled what had happened.

His battle group had served as an advance force. They had been ordered to investigate the silent systems within this frontier region.

After spending an immense amount of time reaching their destination, however, they had discovered that every planet was engulfed in fear and rebellion.

Every human—and even every daemon—was desperately attempting to flee the region.

Some terrifying field had spread across the area. A black shroud covered the Warp, preventing Astropaths from transmitting messages and making it impossible for Librarians to draw upon their psychic powers.

Even the most basic electromagnetic communications had been severed.

Everyone could feel that terrifying stillness.

Things became even more horrifying when they descended onto one of the silent planets and encountered the first living inhabitants.

The suffocating sensation had intensified.

Everyone stared blankly into space, like unresponsive dolls.

Overwhelming physical and spiritual lethargy had struck them down, and all activity across the planet was slowly grinding to a halt.

As the Indomitus Crusade forces remained in the area, they too began to experience that suffocating sensation.

Only then did they finally confirm that important xenos facilities existed on the planet and were spreading an abominable veil capable of affecting the soul.

By the time Marran and the others attempted to act, it was already too late.

Necron forces attacked them in an endless mechanical tide.

Ultimately, the Imperial forces were defeated and captured, then transported into this zoo-like phase-space and imprisoned completely.

Now, destroying the machinery that generated the xenos veil was beyond them.

Merely staying alive had become nearly impossible.

After speaking with the Ultramarines for a while, Marran returned to his little shelter, lay down, and silently gnawed on a block of corpse starch.

The environment simulated inside this phase-space resembled the underhive of a hive city. Food was exceptionally scarce, so having corpse starch to eat was already a blessing.

He didn't want to waste any more strength talking.

It would be better to spend that time silently praying for the Emperor to save them.

Alternatively, he could pray that the Lord Regent would arrive at the head of the Indomitus Crusade, defeat the xenos, and destroy their facilities.

Of course, Marran vaguely understood that he was probably just waiting to die.

He could see little cause for hope.

Several days later, however, something strange happened.

The Necrons began delivering a continuous stream of human supplies into the phase-space.

And the supplies were astonishingly abundant!

(End of Chapter)

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