-Outskirts of Sirashia, Necron Fleet, The Executor Star-
I analyzed the inventory of everything we had managed to salvage from the Sirashia tomb while the lord—or lady, considering she was a female Necron—sat upon a throne on the far side of our long meeting table.
Shorter and slighter than a standard Necron lord, Eurynath Nimaekhet gazed around in silence; her cold skull and lifeless eyes scanned the details of her surroundings, likely processing the history I had been forced to recount to every other Necron I had awakened.
"I am grateful for your assistance, Lord Akatosahk. I would have met my end were it not for your arrival. I assume we shall begin the hunt for the vermin who caused the destruction of my tomb. I intend to turn their heads into trophies to adorn my throne room once it is rebuilt."
If there was genuine gratitude in her words, her emotionless voice made it difficult to tell, but I nodded in acknowledgment.
"I dispatched a fleet detachment to pursue them. Barring any unforeseen complications, those Chaos worshippers should be nothing more than burning wreckage by now. But do not worry; we have many battles ahead and plenty of opportunities to claim trophies. Now, I couldn't help but notice something peculiar about the resources we salvaged..."
I hesitated, considering how to explain this without implying anything untoward.
"Is there a problem?"
"Not exactly, just... I couldn't help but notice that, despite the tomb's destruction, what we retrieved seems meager when compared to the resources of other tombs. I am not accusing you, but I would appreciate an explanation, if there is one."
Eurynath fell silent and looked away, making it clear to me that something had indeed happened.
"Where are your tomb's resources?"
I asked with a mix of concern and the haughtiness my rank demanded, but the Lord hesitated to answer, speaking in a low, drawling tone—almost a whisper.
"I may… I may have lost some of my units in the past."
I believe that was the closest a soulless Necron could come to feeling shame, but I didn't care; I pressed the issue, for I wanted answers.
"How exactly? In some battle before the Great Sleep?"
"No, I… I… I may have lost a few wagers with my fellow nobles."
"Enough to create such a massive gap in your resources?"
I tried—and failed—to hide my disbelief.
"There were many wagers."
The last sound that escaped her mouth was odd, but I took it to be a nervous laugh. That didn't change the fact that the Necron standing before me was a gambling addict!
"Right, let's end things up here. You will stay on my ship and accompany us on our journey. Sire will take you to where we are storing everything we've recovered. Let me know if anything is amiss, and I will do my best to help. When this is all over, we'll begin rebuilding your tomb; until then, I recommend you familiarize yourself with the members of the dynasty. You might even run into an acquaintance."
Eurynath murmured her thanks, and I replied courteously—sighing inwardly as I rose from my throne—but before I could turn my back and go on my way, she spoke.
"Before you go, could you lend me a few tons of ore? I promise I'll pay you back later."
Seriously?!
The Necrons' impassive metallic faces rarely changed expression, but if we were capable of it, I believe she would have worn a mischievous grin, while my face would have betrayed sheer disappointment.
-XXXXXX-
"Is this what my dynasty has become? A pack of incompetent lords and nobles consumed by their own desires?"
The true owner of the body I inhabited spoke with a voice filled with disgust as we traveled to the system's next planet. I answered him mentally, for I did not wish to appear even more insane to the personal guard and nobles present on the command bridge.
"The Great Sleep affected us all. Some Necrons lost their sanity, while others saw their quirks amplified. Few remained with their minds intact. The latter could be considered lucky, for the rest… Well, death is preferable to becoming a Destroyer or a Flayed One."
"I can agree with that. I shall make sure to set things right once I regain control of my body."
"You speak as if I would allow that. Besides, you wouldn't want to have a soul again—not in your current state."
"Hmph! And why do you think that?"
"Your reaction during our previous conversation: you panicked after regaining your emotions for just a moment. What makes you think you could endure that for the rest of your immortal existence? Right now, your mind is cold and logical, incapable of truly caring; but if you take control and claim my soul, you will feel like a person again. Anger, fear, joy, sorrow, and more—you will miss the days when you were alive, miss eating and drinking, miss feeling the wind, the heat, and the cold; you will remember the people you lost and the atrocities you committed. Could you bear that without going mad? For I am already losing my mind."
There was a moment of silence, but eventually, he replied, his voice failing to hide his concerns.
"Of course! Who do you take me for?! I am not weak like mortals! I will not allow something as pathetic as fear and feelings to stand in the way of my conquest! I shall reclaim what was lost and bring glory to the dynasty!"
"And would they want that?"
"Who?"
"Your family. Relatives, wife and children—do you think they'd want to see you like this? That they'd approve of your actions?"
It took only a nudge for him to explode, his voice booming like thunder against the walls. His hands lashed out at me, passing harmlessly through my body like a ghost's.
"That is irrelevant! Why should I care about the opinions of those who are already gone?!"
"What if they're alive? Wouldn't you want to see them again?"
"This existence is no life!"
His tone fractured—like a malfunctioning machine—with multiple voices speaking at once, consumed by despair.
"So you agree. Wouldn't it be better to make eternity worthwhile by creating something good?"
"And I shall—by wiping out the lesser beings who seized the galaxy that belongs to us. Unlike you, I harbor no illusions about understanding between mortals and us. You have two choices: let me take control, or die like all the naive fools who tried to bring peace to this existence of endless war."
"You're claiming victory too soon. Besides, even knowing the risks—knowing how stupid my goal is—I still want to try."
"You are a fool."
"I'd rather be that than become just another Necron Overlord who ends up killed by a Space Marine in a book. By the C'tan, I hope it isn't Cato Sicarius."
The being beside me raised a hesitant finger, but no word left its lips. It vanished, and I found myself alone, gazing at our destiny just ahead.
-XXXXXX-
Well, between saving the tomb and pursuing the chaos worshippers, the former is the priority.
I made my way through the structure's corridors with my personal guard, watching Scarabs, Wraiths, Spiders, and other repair units fixing the damage caused by the creatures' acid.
Occasionally, I would pass by an energy barrier holding back the water, watching as the electrocuted creatures—now dead—were devoured by deep-sea animals, creating a veritable ecosystem. The sunken freighters had become part of the landscape, serving as homes for schools of fish from distant regions of the planet that had remained untouched by the energy surge.
The sheer number of human casualties troubled me, but at least the planet possessed a competent Defense Force; they had managed to handle the invasion—despite the losses—with a little help from the Necrons. I did harbor a minor concern regarding the planet's natural balance, however, as the electricity released by the tomb's core had killed countless marine plants and animals, likely driving many species to extinction.
I am no expert, but I suspect predators will now focus on prey less adapted to them, while other species multiply unchecked. This will also impact the planet's fishing industry; food exports will likely be curtailed or cease entirely for the foreseeable future as resources are diverted to the local population and efforts to restore ecological balance—meaning a few Imperial Guard regiments will have to go without their sushi.
In any case, I made sure to collect the carcass of that colossal, starfish-like monster. If I ever run into Trazyn, perhaps I can trade it for something; if not, the beast will still make for a magnificent trophy.
I arrived at a massive door covered in glowing glyph carvings, which slid open. The Immortals standing guard stepped aside to let us pass, and on the other side, we found Ananotek—along with his Cryptek and personal guard—waiting near the Necron Lord, who sat upon his throne.
"Greetings, Overlord Akatosahk Ulthagakh; I am Hetenebu Beremkah. I believe we have much to discuss."
"I appreciate your hospitality, Lord Beremkah, and yes, we have much to discuss. I believe the honorable Ananotek has already explained what transpired, but if you wish, I can recount the story in detail."
"Yes, please. I am grateful for your court's efforts, but I would like to know what happened between the Great Sleep and my awakening."
So, I told the story I was already tired of repeating.
-XXXXXX-
Many Necrons awoke with personalities altered by the Great Sleep—for a machine left on or off for millions of years was bound to fail eventually—but I could consider myself lucky to have a relatively normal court: two capable Lords, a psychopath, and a compulsive gambler by my side. Compared to other cases, things could have been worse.
Hetenebu Beremkah would join our journey once the tomb complex was fully awakened. The ships and combat units needed to undergo analysis before being deployed to the battlefield; better that than having them fail unexpectedly.
Now, we were back in space, heading toward the next planet—Hidrus Secundus, a hive world. Yet, what weighed on my mind was the message from the Knight of Slaanesh that one of my Crypteks had brought.
"Beware; they are waiting for you."
I suppose Chaos forces are lying in wait for me at the forge world—considering I hadn't encountered anything truly challenging until now—but should I believe him? What reason do I have to think a Chaos worshiper would speak the truth? Unless... That orb of light—likely a fragment of the Emperor. Is He planning to redeem the Grey Knight?
So much to think about in so little time, but this was the moment to plan, not to waste time. Right then, seated on my throne on the command bridge, I was engaging Sire—facing him in simulations of planetary and deep-space battles, with armies marching and fleets firing from afar. Simultaneously, I was devising combat strategies rooted in my knowledge of the forces of Chaos, bracing myself for what lay ahead.
In the meantime, while exploring the capabilities of my body, I discovered where my weapons and other collected items were stored. I possessed an integrated dimensional pocket—essentially a bottomless inventory. I would later test the size limits of what I could stow away.
Finally, there was one last thing—an item I had asked Haratek to retrieve from the ship's vaults: a long, golden artifact adorned with a dark rune. It fit in the palm of my hand, displaying holographic projections that I manipulated with my free hand, shaping its functions to my will.
If everything went wrong during direct combat, this would be my last resort.
"We have arrived at our destination, Lord Akatosahk."
Sire Aetir spoke in his calm, emotionless tone, rousing me from my thoughts. I murmured my thanks and stood, approaching the bridge's viewport to gaze at the planet below—a grey sphere shrouded in metal, pollution, and wasteland. The oceans had dried up, the land had been mined until almost nothing remained, and nature had been ruthlessly extinguished.
The spires of the Hive Cities pierced the lower atmosphere, spewing pillars of smoke into the air; they glowed with countless lights and teemed with populations numbering in the billions.
Yet, there was a problem: fires and explosions, numerous enough to be visible from space. I ordered Sire to display a view of the surface, and when a holographic screen revealed the city streets, I couldn't help but mentally frame an insult regarding what I saw.
"Funny, I didn't know humans could have purple skin and four arms."
A noble beside me made the comment, and I had to fight the urge to eject him from the ship; his words made it clear he hadn't paid attention to my briefing on current galactic events.
—Hive Harazor, Primary Hive of Hidrus Secundus—
"...For we are the children of the Carapace Emperor; he and his angels shall bring us salvation, and…"
"A-are we responsible for this?" Sabathiel asked in disbelief, watching the courtyard below, where a multitude of purple-skinned people bearing various mutations listened to their leader's speech.
The Knight beside her did not answer, but the voice of her patron, issuing from the Servo-skull, did.
"No, we are not." Even though masked by a synthetic voice, his tone was anything but happy.
OMAKE / ALTERNATE SCENE: Goddesses of Victory and a Skeleton.
"Damn it!"
I found myself falling backward, watching the rift to the Warp close above me. Wind rushed against my sensors as I plummeted from a height that would be fatal to many mortals—though for me, it was nothing compared to what I had already endured.
CLANG!
CRASH!
I slammed into the ground with enough force to create a crater, the damage report appearing in the corner of my vision—a stark contrast to the blue sky and buildings surrounding me.
Blue sky? Buildings!
I immediately rose to my feet, the damage repairing itself within seconds as I scanned my surroundings in a combat stance. For a moment, I thought I was returning to my own world; I found myself in the middle of a 21st-century city—complete with glass skyscrapers, asphalt streets, and the works—yet there wasn't a single person in sight.
"Are you unharmed, Lord Akatosahk?"
A lone scarab flew before me, its voice familiar.
"Sire?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Where are we?"
"Our location is unknown, and I cannot contact the fleet, my Lord."
Shit!
I tried to connect to my units, but Sire was the only one I could sense nearby. For all I knew, we could be on the other side of the galaxy, on a planet that had preserved the architecture of my era.
"Follow me, Sire; let's try to figure out where we are."
"Yes, my Lord."
We then moved forward through the empty—yet strangely intact—streets. There were signs that people had lived here, but everything had been abandoned abruptly, perhaps due to an evacuation.
I got my answer as I turned the corner, seeing modern military vehicles—like tanks and helicopters—destroyed, and armored soldiers lying dead on the ground.
What the hell happened here?! Did I actually make it home?!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
"SCREEE!"
Gunshots and a distant shriek caught my attention. Of course, things couldn't just be quiet. I hope it's not Tyranids, though I suppose that's better than hearing an Ork's WAAAGH!
I climbed a nearby building—since there was no room for me inside—and leaped from rooftop to rooftop toward the sounds of combat, spotting a military outpost under attack by metallic beings of various shapes.
Some resembled multi-legged metal spiders, others flying spheres, small and medium-sized bipeds, and more; yet, their most striking feature was the glowing red orb on their bodies.
They attacked with lasers and other advanced weaponry, while the soldiers used bullets, artillery, and armaments familiar to me. However—much like a planetary defense force fighting Chaos Space Marines—their weapons barely scratched the invaders, while the humans were dropping like flies.
Inside the base, behind the defensive lines, civilians were being loaded onto trucks and other transports; there were far too many people for the few vehicles available, a situation made worse by the ongoing attack.
Hmm… I shouldn't interfere, but… Damn my soft heart.
"Stay here, Sire."
"Yes, my lord."
Without another word, I summoned my staff to my hand and leaped from the roof toward the largest robot below, driving the glaive blade into its body and cleaving it in two with a single, swift motion. Its death scream ceased, and the smaller machines focused on me, surrounding me.
"Greetings, I am Akatosahk Ulthagakh, The Denied, Wretched Herald of the Impenetrable Eclipse, the Prognos…"
"SCREEE!"
With a shriek, they charged, and I braced for combat.
"RUDE! I CAN'T EVEN INTRODUCE MYSELF PROPERLY!"
END OF CHAPTER