Report on the situation:

“Sir, I have terrible news. Cadia has fallen. The Chaos army has destroyed the whole world. We could only evacuate around 8% of its population, but no more than 2,5 million Guards. They remained true to their oath, partially. The planet broke before their will, but even then, they were ultimately defeated. May the Emperor protect their souls.

And worse than that, the Warp Space of the Eye of Terror has Expanded, it is hard to believe, but it can be seen from every point in the Galaxy.

There is now a chaos scar that has split the galaxy in half, severing communications and travel with the thousands of worlds on the other side. It’s a terrible situation.

We have called it the Cicatrix Maledictum, and it has cast an eternal night to half the Imperium.

The situation calls for a massive intervention from every loyal army that Terra has. We cannot let trillions of souls to their own.

On a lesser note, there are reports of 3 new WHAAAGs. These small war pilgrimages of destruction are lead by mighty Ork warlords. They have already destroyed half a dozen worlds and invaded 30 more, but unless a forge world is in danger, I recommend sending limited reinforcements for now.

Also, the reports of the last week show an increase in the Inquisition activities by eradicating nearly 247% more cultists than the previous month. It is worrisome, the Cicatrix has already severed the Imperium, and the Chaos cultists are striking everywhere as they please.

The executioners are saturated; they can only burn 2.6 million heretics per day, way too little.

Anyway, there are a few Craftworlds located at the east, north, and south frontier of the Imperium space; I would recommend destroying this Xenos at sight. Still, your orders were to wait and see their intentions as possible allies against the Orks, Chaos, and Tyranids.

Their fallen cousins, the Drukhari, are still pillaging our cities near their multiple Webway entrances as they always do. Nevertheless, this year, they only have taken a few hundred million prisoners from 132 worlds. It’s less than expected.

There is also news about some Necron dynasties awakening after the reports of the glowing green planets. All efforts to eradicate them have proven as significant challenges. Their ancient technology keeps repelling our weapons, but they’re weak against the saturation of psychic attacks. If only we could send a few thousand psykers against their tomb worlds, but we need to burn those untrained psykers to keep the light of the Emperor burning.

We have heard some news about a newly discovered empire, a young race called Tau. Humanoid, with blue skin and highly advanced technology, a defiance against our tech-priests and an insult to the glory of the Omnissiah. But have proven quite resourceful.

As always, I suggest exterminating them at sight.

Lastly, there is news about the movement of several Hive Fleets in every Segmentum. The Tyranids' desire for prey never stops. We have controlled the advances of Leviathan and Behemoth by launching Exterminatus to nearly 4000 worlds, decimating them from the biomass needed by this Xeno beasts to grow and advance.

We require your guidance, Warmaster. The light of the Emperor cannot reach every world, and we must send troops to save them from falling into Chaos before all hope is lost.”

------------------------

An emotionless and mechanical voice echoed through a poorly illuminated, half devastated lab.

“You nearly killed us both 500 years ago… but I understand what you did. Why you did it? I’m also trapped here, you know?”

At the lower levels of the vast, hidden complex, laid a unique subject. A huge and malevolent creature, devoid of emotions too. Maybe hunger and rage.

“GRRRRRRR….”

“Hmmm, yeah. By the way, the energy is nearly depleted. You will soon be free, Queen.”

SCREAAAAAAAAAACHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

“I know, but don’t blame me for your bad luck. After all, it was your mother who turned you to die at human’s hands…”

“GRrrrrrrr…”

“And we will soon have company. When that happens, you and I will both die.

Whoever comes will blast this place, and the lab will be no more, and my mission will fail.

The corruption will extend in our galaxy too. Like it did in yours before. And with time, it will be turned into nothingness. How boring.”

“...”

“So, what about this, instead of fighting each other, like used to do, we could work together. For once. If you trust me enough, I can find a way to let you be free again.”

“Graahh…”

“Yeah, I just want you to help me with the patient 0.”

SCREACHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

“I know, I know… you lost your home to the corruption, but if this happens again in this galaxy, none will survive. You know that, don’t you?”

“...”

“Ok, so I will wake him up and prepare the Necron transference machine.”

“GRAAHH!!”

“YES! It has to be you. Otherwise, he will be too slow, four months tops. Some madman might try to cross the Warp directly. Then, after 15 to 20 years, a full swarm of Imperial crusades will come to salvage whatever riches are left from this place.”

“GRAHAHHA!!! Schfroour?!”

“Don’t laugh… There is one Captain mad enough. He hates Tyranids to the bone, and if he gets this fucking SOS message, things will be a fucking problem… Heh, or maybe not. We’ll see.”

“Screeechhh… grrrrr….”

“We need to start asap. Once you help the subject, get out, and make sure the subject is safe and sound on the planet, you will be free to leave.

For real, no nukes pointing at you anymore. You have my word.

You will finally be able to ride that hidden thing that has been growing in the ocean’s planet for centuries.”

“Grrr…”

“Of course, I knew. Now, we have to start. So, Norn, what do you say? Yes or no?”

“... YEshhhh…”

“Good, now get your forces out of the corridors, get them to hide. Once the spaceship is here, we will start the second phase. ”

“Screachhh? GRAH!!”

“No! That would ruin all the fun. Come, let me get you to meet him. You don’t know him yet. He’s the best, don’t worry. Just a little bit of a crybaby get ready for the transference. It will be painful.”

“SCREEACHH!!”

“Good luck!”

---------------------------

“Sir, we have received weird communication. An old message from a research post in Pri-8 Moon. It seems to be from 1.200 years ago. The warp storms have made communications impossible to reach us before. The message is encrypted, but the code doesn’t look like anything I have seen from an Imperial world.”

“Let me see. Hmmm, Could it be?!”

“Sir?”

“Silence, Officer!”

“...”

“Let’s see if that war was worth fighting. Code name Aldaris, Rank, High Captain of the Imperial Navy. Authorizing the use of S-class code breaker Mechanicus servitor…”

Silence came shortly after at the deck. After a few minutes, the screens showed the image of a moon with a lab built on it and a small planet. He started to upload information on the screens.

“Sir? Isn’t that one of the old colonization projects from Terra? We should go and provide help, letting the Imperium take them under the mantle of humankind. We would be rewarded!”

The captain remains silent, ignoring his officer. The colonization project was an old fairy tale about perfect worlds used as colonization tests where humans were living happily ever after, far from war, disease, and death.

They were called Maiden worlds, nothing more than beautiful heresy tales to tempt the good citizens of the Emperor, in his opinion. Most were old Eldar colonization grounds that humans took for themselves.

But the lab is what gathers his attention. He knows of it, just barely.

That place is a legend, even among high ranking officers and some Rogue Traders.

A lab with so many riches that could allow you to buy a whole planet, even a system. There could be some original STC or Dark technology equipment that the Astra Mechanichus would kill without blinking, or relics from before the Heresy… and weapons.

“Sir? Should we inform the inquisition about that rogue planet? The other worlds recently adhered to the Imperium have proven to be of great interest and-”

The Captain looks at the officer, shutting him up.

“We are too late to provide any help now. If the protocols of that lab have failed, we have one more mission. Contain the samples and destroy all the experiments after collecting the data from the investigation outpost. Set course.“

“Understood sir, the safest route will take us 13 years entering the warp through 3 safe channels, the expected losses of the crew are under 15%.”

He checked the route but avoided a direct course through realspace as they had to cross through several Ork infested areas.

The route that the navigator found passed through their actual destination near Cypra Mundi towards Belis Corona, all the way to Lastrati, moving closeby the huge Maelstorm.

It was considered one of the worst Warp Storms in existence, and then, towards Cirillo Prime, passing the blinking Rift Corridor.

Then they had to go towards the Ymga Monolith and traverse the Chaos scar again to hit the planet that was north of the T’Au empire. They had to cross the whole galaxy!

“Sir? Is there any problem with the chosen route?”

Another silence was cast upon the deck. Heavy, oppressive. Then, the captain spoke again.

“Set a direct route, avoid all frequented Astartes, Imperial Guard, Ecclesiarchy and Astra Mechanicus safe ports and trade routes.”

“But sir, then which route are we going to fol-”

“We will enter the Cicatrix Maledictum and travel all the way to the lab through the Warp. If we hurry, it won’t be too late...”

“But Sir, that! That is crazy!”

“Officer… just do what I have told you.”

The man shuts up, sweating as the captain has given him a direct order, and he doesn’t want to fail him. The man is notorious for how harsh his punishments are.

The simulation ends shortly after, and he shakes his head, deeming it crazy.

“This… this is suicide…”

“Officer? What are you complaining about?!”

“Sir, the reality generators will not stand the pressure from the Warp for three months! We will lose nearly 50% of the recruited crew just from madness and suicides. And a direct route will make either Chaos or Drukhari forces notice us!! Sir, you are condemning all of us to death!”

“50%? Just what scum have we recruited from this world?!”

“Sir… the t-the planetary governor s-said-”

“I don’t care! I asked for two hundred thousand soldiers!! And from I can see, you accepted all sorts of gangs, criminals and… rebels?!”

“S-sir… I-I can explain!!”

“Commissar, execute this man. We don't need traitors in our ranks.”

“NO! Please, S-”

* Blam!!

A corpse falls to the ground in a puddle of its blood and brain tissues.

Twenty-four years of fighting together did not make the Commissar doubt when firing, not even for a single second. Without punishment, cowards are traitors who will turn into heretics.

“Open a communication channel with the Planetary Governor immediately!”

The rest of the deck officers start to work frantically, ignoring their death teammate. The iron smell starts to permeate the deck, yet no one dares complain.

“UH?! Who dar-! Fuck!! Ehem!! Ohh! Captain Aldaris! To what do I owe the… pleasure?”

“Governor, there seems to be a problem with the recruited troops.”

“Oh, that… well, you demanded some fighters, so I provided them!”

“Those are filthy scum from your Hive cities… not soldiers.”

“We are very short on good soldiers, the rebels-”

“You dared to disobey a direct order?”

“No, of course not, I wouldn’t dare… but, I need those troops to fight against the revolt in the three valleys Hive City and-”

“Second Officer, please set course to orbital position over the Hive City.”

“Captain?!”

“Prepare the weapons. Ready to fire at my order.”

“W-wait!! What are you-”

“I’m solving your insurrection problem.”

“Sir p-please! There, there is no need!!”

“Ohh, and why is that?”

“600 million people are living there, and just over 13 or 14 million are rebels, I do not think that you need to send your troops and-”

“You are not required to think, Governor, you need to obey. Are the weapons ready?”

“Yessir!”

“Captain, please, reconsider the implications of-”

“Shhh… Governor, I understand.”

“Y-you do?”

“Yes. You are used to the privileges of your rank, and have grown weak and lax.”

“Captain, please if you give me two months I can-”

“Open Fire…”

BrreaaaaaaaaaaOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!

An immense light illuminates the lower part of the ship, and then, a fire descends from the sky.

At the busy Hive City, millions of people turn their heads to the sudden glow.

Most were not used to seeing the sun, as the toxic fumes and tall buildings negate them of direct sunlight. People wonder what can that bright light be for a few seconds, just before a massive pillar of laser fire starts burning through the atmosphere.

Loud and strident alarms started to sound, and an energy shield began to materialize over the city, a desperate and costly protective measure.

But it only stands a few seconds before being crushed. Corruption had taken its toll on the city’s defenses.

Their voices turned to screams of fear before being vaporized.

The laser then hits the massive Hive City and burns the downtown in an instant. It keeps expanding, turning several square kilometers to ash and dust. In a few minutes, over 100 million people had died from fire, heat, or suffocation.

The governor shout pleaded and cried, but to no avail.

“Keep firing… leave nothing!”

“Yessir!!”

Several minutes later, the attack ended.

When the laser batteries stopped the onslaught, a whole 40 km in diameter area turned into a huge fire pit where nothing remained.

Just destruction. No survivors.

“... How! How could you!! Th-the city! The people!!”

“I told you. There are no more rebels now.”

“B-but… the city! It’s been…”

“I want your troops, Governor. Or else, I will bomb the Palatine Palace next. Am I clear?”

“... yes, Captain Aldaris…”

Nodding in satisfaction, the Captain let the recruitment process proceed with the alarmed and scared troops from the planetary defense guard.

“Good. Proceed with your duties governor, may the Emperor protect you.”

For the Governor, it was another story.

The planet was in disarray. One of the planet's biggest cities had been destroyed in an instant without any justification.

The planetary governor tried to calm the population, but more and more cities start to rise against the weakened and demoralized planetary defense forces, demanding retribution.

But that problem was not one Captain Aldaris had to care for as he had another mission.

“Let’s go, and may the Emperor protects us all!”

“YES, SIR!!” Hundreds of fearful voices answer to their captain without holding back.

The ship slowly takes life, and it's engines roared silently in the darkness of space.

It's direction, a secret lab that could make the whole Imperium tremble if it was made known to any military Segmentum.

And turn loyal Emperor subjects into traitors, if not taken care of carefully.