[IC] Trespassers of the Multiverse DC; XCOM 2 Subplot: Return of the Traitor

[Powder Miner]

Apparently having started quite the topic of conversation, Nader was silent for a moment, blinking behind his mask in some level of surprise. Then he sighed — looked like they were all going after him now but Alan, so he was going to have to reply one at a time. Well, he was just going to have to keep it short and snappy then. First off, he pointed at Aquila. ”You didn’t run, I did. And sure Allah knows when I’ll die, but he ain’t causing it, so it’ll be far away if I have any say in it, which I do. Oh, and it won’t be for a stupid reason like, oh, I don’t know, trying to wound something multiple times your size and made of metal with a flail.”

 

Next he turned his head to Harry. ”You’re assuming the homefront is safe, which isn’t necessarily true. Even putting aside totalitarian agents or nazi spies or nationalist rebels or whatever brand of conspiracies you have going on where you’re from, I guess fucked up robots and spirits and cyborgs or shit where Alan is from... anyway, all of that aside, keep in mind that we aren’t just in our home dimensions now. We’re in another dimension. How did we get here? I actually don’t know about you, but we took a ship between dimensions, and either it knew to take us somewhere relevant or it was random chance. But we’ve just had that thing for a brief period of time — imagine someone with more time with one of these devices; they could be anywhere, any time, instantly. Can’t afford to lower our guard unless we have some way of preventing this, because there ARE things out there that want to kill us, and once we all give these interdimensional beings the opportunity they will probably take it. ...also, I won’t be shooting any fucking kids. Come the hell on.”

 

Well, there went short and snappy. But he’d always been prone to ranting, hadn’t he? With a gesture at Rachel, he finished the last part of what was turning into a very long spiel. ”I’m already long down this “path” anyway. Near to a decade and a half, now: I’m an old hand. Totalitarianism in the Kingdom of Moskurg, end of the Forenian War, all of the Arstotzkan-Nazi-Cannalan bullshit in the Forenian-Cannalan War, I’ve been through this shit for a while, and I know what I’m doing. You just have to know when to do things, and when not to do them, and as long as you follow that, you won’t be blowing any kids away. Like I said... experience. And one last question. You questioned whether this Twitch guy was happy, right? Well, if not for his... paranoia, would he be alive at all?”

[kj1225]

"I'd rather die doing that than cowering in a hole.... Wait, what the fuck is a Totalitarian? Or even a nazi?"

Despite the helmet Aquila looks really confused about that part. Apparently they were important or something if this guy was raving about them.

[Powder Miner]

”A totalitarian, Aquila, is someone like the coward fucking King of Moskurg or the sociopathic “Glorious Leader” of Arstotzka who decides they want all the power and fuck everyone in the way, so they change their government so it’s jammed into every little aspect of your life, and ALWAYS is listening or watching. In Moskurg they had a bunch of spies listening for someone to say something they didn’t like, and they encouraged you to report anyone else you heard saying something like that. They caught you saying something like “Fuck the King” you’d disappear and never come back, or if they were feeling extra nasty execute you in public.“ Nader sighed, and actually spoke with some composition.

 

”Totalitarianism is a kind of government designed to be all-encompassing, to be inescapable, and to wield the power of life and death with impunity. It is designed to infiltrate its citizens’ minds, to indoctrinate them with an ideology that convinces them all is fine, even as people disappear around them and even as their every action is driven by a nearly mindless, terrified fear. It’s a kind of government that bends the world around it to keep itself paramount. It is evil in one of its most wickedly clever forms, and if I understand this world correctly, it’s what the space alien colonialists have instituted, I’d bet money.

 

As for the Nazis, they’re another brand of totalitarian. They believe in a return to this... agrarian, ordered fantasy of their country, Germany, where their Aryan people expand across much of Europe and live in farms or work in factories in order, inescapable order, where every supposed smiling citizen is a cog in a malicious machine. They don’t like the Jews, they don’t like the Slavs, and they want to conquer the world.

 

Now... the King and the Leader failed, in the end — when Forenia no longer was torn apart by war, when at the peace conference they went for their spies, generals, the Moskurg soldiers, AND the engineers as scapegoats, well... the Leader was slain by a hammer with rockets on it, and the King by a miniature Death Ball — that’s a boulder with wheels, propelled by rockets. Forenia became, in the end, ready to face them. I expect the Nazis will fail too, when there are people ready for them, and these people here,” Nader gestured at the XCOM soldiers in the shuttle, ”are the people ready for the alien colonialists.”

[Strider]

"I'm don't think you would. But I'd be willing to bet good money that most of the people who ended up killing children wouldn't have expected that they'd ever do that or even be capable of that. Whatever, nevermind that." Harry raised his hands in exasperation. He didn't seriously expect any child killing, but Nader seemed to have missed the point about excess paranoia tending to take people places they didn't want to go.

 

"Anyway, you're right about the significantly higher danger in our work. But it still doesn't warrant the type of paranoia you're advocating. There's a reason why people take turns keeping watch besides the sleep thing, it's kind of stressful. You've got to be on heightened alert at all times, always checking behind you, adrenaline pumping at every snap of a twig. So sure, we've got more danger, and we need to be careful and prepared, but it needs some balance. Need to let other people take the pressure for a bit, and relax, even if you need your guns near you to relax."

 

"Dunno how different your world is from mine, not familiar with some of the countries you're talking about, but the Nazis lost in my world. Something to do with the whole invading Russia and stalin until winter." XCOM would probably have world maps, Harry thought, and it might be interesting to see where this Arstotzka was located.

[kj1225]

Aquila nods at the explanations. Honestly that sounded pretty normal, after all his home was ruled by a supreme leader. It's only natural when they're....

"Wait a minute, that sounds like where I lived just with a bit more structure."

[Yours Truly]

"Let me guess, do you come from some sort of medieval era world where the feudalism system is still in place Aquilla? Because you honestly look the part." Alan said as he shuffled a little on his seat and idly checked his drone's systems for any recent issues.

[kj1225]

Aquila stares at the witch with great confusion. He has no clue about what the man is talking about and it's plain as day.

[DragonRage]

"I couldn't say for sure if Twitch would still be alive if he wasn't so alert to potential dangers," Sister Rachel admits, "But it's my considered opinion as a Sister Hospitaller that he wouldn't have needed to survive three heart attacks if he'd been able to relax more.  Chronic stress might not kill as quickly as a bolter or an unsanctioned psyker, but it kills all the same.  Of course, knowing that doesn't automatically help you de-stress, but to not inform you of the danger would violate my oaths.  I-   Wait, wait, wait.  You have alternatives to totalitarianism.  And they haven't collapsed into anarchy, genestealers, Tau-funded insurgents, or Tzeentchian cultists yet?  Emperor lend us speed, we need to get word to your home universe right away!  Those ticking time bombs are one daemon away from destroying everything you hold dear!"  

[Powder Miner]

"Like I said, decade and a half, I know how my life is going by this point, Dr. Spaceman. But I'd rather not take a sudden teleportation and gun to the back of the head if I have anything to say about it. Good to hear the Nazis got fucked where you're from, though. Ours invaded Russia, too, and they're still stuck there, so I guess that maybe that's a good sign. We've got Cannala to worry about too, though, so... well, that's a problem for my world."

 

He glanced at Aquila. "It's probably not very likely that you're from a totalitarian regime. A terrible medieval monarchical regime, maybe, but with totalitarianism the dictators and kings need that level of technology and infrastructure so that they can infiltrate and grip every level of society. Nothing at what I estimate your... relative historical point at is going to be able to manage that, and be thankful for that."

 

And then he looked at Rachel, silently for a few moments, before he spoke again: "What a grim future you must live in. Totalitarianism hasn't taken over my world, though it's currently in its best efforts, and that means that for me totalitarianism is itself the alternative. Understand something: The first totalitarian nation, the Soviet Union, formed in 1917. Moskurg and Arstotzka became totalitarian a few years after that. Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, they're 1933 and 1922 recently. I was born in 1912. I am older than the existence of totalitarianism. I've seen, and designed weaponry for in two cases, successful nations without totalitarianism, which despite the exhortations of the Nazis' lackey party, have not collapsed without it. Have you been taught that totalitarianism is the only way to run a government? I'm sorry to say this, but you've been indoctrinated. At least I had the benefit of time and experience of nations without it, I suppose. ...King of Moskurg trying to have me killed didn't endear me to it, either."

[kj1225]

"I don't think anyone that immoral could keep a total grip on their people efficiently but..."

Aquila shrugs.

[DragonRage]

"Indoctrinated?  Hah!  Of course I'm indoctrinated!  The Imperium of Man is many things.  Subtle is not one of them," Sister Rachel admits, "My first memories are of being beaten by the drill-Abbots of my Schola Progenium, first for failing to memorize scripture to his satisfaction, and then for failing to defend myself from his attacks with my own staff.  My entire life has been naught but prayer, study, and service on the field of battle.  Because as you say, the future is grim.  Mankind is beset by enemies on all sides, who would enslave or slay us to the last, and for all our cunning, faith, and might, we are losing a long, slow battle of attrition against numberless foes.  I bind myself to the Imperium by choice now, for there is no other option save death and damnation.  A totalitarian regime is not the only way to run a government, I suppose.  As long as you acknowledge that democracies will inevitably transform into a Tzeentchian cult and attempt to destroy all that the pure hold dear, despots inevitably fall to Khorne's rage, feudal systems are incredibly inefficient, and even the Tau admit that communism doesn't work."

[Strider]

Harry's eyes widened at this, cementing firmly in his mind the notion that this woman was some kind of cultist. But still, there was a point there. "I'll admit, in the most dire circumstances, absolute control is probably most effective for survival. Normally, I'd say that it's a questionable excuse since the higher ups can always pretend that there are dire circumstances and threats, but it sounds like you've been out in battle plenty to be able to tell that sort of thing."

 

"Anyway, ignoring that, I have no idea what a Tzeentchian is, and I'd be willing to bet that neither Aquila nor Nader know either. Mind informing me?"

[DragonRage]

"Tzeentch is one of the four so-called gods of chaos, each more loathsome than the last, who dwell in the Warp, source of all psychic powers.  Tzeentch exists for change.  Even when things are working well, if they have stood still for long he will attempt to alter them.  And before you think that this doesn't sound so bad in your ignorance, that includes the workings and forms of his followers' own bodies and minds.  Not for improvement, but for change's sake alone.  Democracies are inherently dynamic, and so both feed him and give him extra ways to insert his cultists into the government's inner workings.  Introduce not changes until you are certain they will be a boon to mankind, lest you indulge his needlessly-complex machinations.

 

"Since none of you have apparently been educated on the dangers of the warp, I suppose I ought to explain the others.  Khorne exists for violence.  Not war, not justice, but endless, bloody rage and slaughter.  To lose oneself in the thrill of battle is to give oneself to him, and to fight until all else is left in ruin.  Or you die.  It's usually the second one, because bloodthirsty fury doesn't lend itself to tactics or caution.  Forget not why you fight, or his rage will consume you forever.

 

"Slaanesh exists for pleasure, and of course takes it to as grotesque extremes as the others do their favored concept.  Twisted, slavering addicts desperate to feel ever-greater 'highs' are its followers, to the point that they crave pain and suffering as much as anything else.  Overindulge not in the things you enjoy, for moderation shall protect your soul.

 

"Nurgle exists for decay, and to keep things the way they are.  That means no bathing, shaving, washing, curing diseases, or anything else that might prolong or improve one's life.  Of course, if you please him, you'll live through all that in constant plagued misery.  Things won't get better and unless you already had lost all hope, they will get worse.  Abandon not hope, or he will accept you into his twisted family.  And then rot some of your extremities and organs off.

 

"Fortunately, unless you do something especially heroic or likely to improve the quality of life for a lot of people, the chaos gods aren't going to bother with personally ruining your life.  So don't be a pervert, a coward, a bloodthirsty maniac, or a populist and you should be fine.  The higher profile your exploits get, the more careful you have to be to avoid anything that might invite them into your soul.  Oh, and be incredibly careful when using psychic powers.  If you screw up, you'll open a portal into the warp, and then a daemon servant of one of the chaos gods will erupt from your head and start killing everything."

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Firebrand

 

In response to Harry's question, Database spoke up, "Unfortunately, we don't have much facilities for live testing. We have some sections of the Avenger set aside to test serums, but those are mostly computer simulations our programmers made. Should be enough though, depending on what you need."

 

Needless to say, the talk about the Warp was enough to get Lazarus’s attention, causing him to lean forward as Rachel finished, “Huh. So that’s what other worlds have going for them?” he asked, before sighing, leaning back in his seat, “And I thought our struggle was something. That sounds like hell… Though I wouldn’t be surprised if ADVENT was crazy enough to mess with something like that” he added.

 

In response, the Reaper merely grunted, “Who knows, maybe they already are dealing with these Chaos Gods. Should ask that Ethereal if they are. And if they do I think we should try and cut Ao from her psionics. I’d rather not having these ‘daemons’ pop out right in the middle of the dining hall” he stated.

 

Not a second afterwards, the intercom of the ship sprung to life again, “Avenger is in sight, prepping landing gear” they announced, shutting off while the Reaper muttered “v kontse kontsov”

 

 

The Avenger

 

With Firebrand in a safe distance from the Avenger, the entire Command Center was calling it a complete mission, patting each other on the back as they begun to relax. The Commander, on the other hand, sighed heavily, taking another long drink from her mug. As she did so, Bradford turned to his commanding officer, “I’d say that was more successful than we originally thought. An actual, functioning Sectopod in our possession” he stated, watching as the Commander nodded,

 

“Yes. And more supplies to put to use. I’d like 5% of the alloys we acquired from the mission to be prepped for redistribution to the Skirmishers. We still owe them after they pulled Reclaimer 6-10 out of that Lost City” she replied once she put her mug down.

 

After a second, Bradford’s smile faded as he got serious again, “Affirmative Commander… Though I should ask, did you get what you needed from the Operation?”

 

“Yes” the Commander replied immediately, taking one more drink from her mug before placing the now empty cup down, “From what I have seen, these are my estimations for these otherworldly travelers:

 

“Nader is a trained soldier, with plenty of heavy firepower at his disposal. Possibly better trained at using them than all of our operatives. However… They seem quick to the trigger. With that amount of weaponry on them, they’re most likely to shoot first, ask questions later. That, and he seems fairly… Paranoid, for lack of a better term” she explained before smiling a bit, “Which, ironically, is close to perfect here.”

 

“Rachel seems to be the same case, to an extent. A trained soldier with heavy firepower… Though hers seems more suited towards armored targets and ones vulnerable to fire. She’d be best against ADVENT’s armored troops and Chryssalids. Her world and belief is different from ours, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she would fight with us on the simple fact that we’re trying to kick ADVENT off of Earth.”

 

“Aquilla… Is a hard one. He’s brave and skilled, considering he managed to take on a Muton and hold his ground. Though, he seems very reckless, considering he’s willing to still attack one of ADVENT’s biggest ground troops. His armor could use some upgrading to help him live if he keeps doing it. No doubt ADVENT isn’t the biggest thing they’ll face, all things considered.”

 

“Alan is rather simple. He’s a very skilled hacker. He managed to break ADVENT’s control over one of their best machines and is now bringing one of them back. We’ll have to have him assist in upgrading our GREMLINs to accomplish the same task, use ADVENT’s own weapons against them.”

 

“Harry, again, is simple. He appears to be a trained soldier, and accomplished field medic. Outfit him with one of our GREMLINs and he could easily keep most of our troops on their feet in case of an emergency”

 

"Finally, Frigus. From what I've seen, he has a skill for swordplay with his... Unique weapon, and, for lack of a better term, magic. I'm unsure how he accomplishes either, really, but it should be something we try and decipher for later use."

 

At that point, Bradford couldn’t help but interrupt, “And the Ethereal?”

 

In the span of a second, the Commander fell silent, before sighing heavily, “I don’t fully know yet, but I trust him. To an extent. Keep him away from the Avatar, at the very least, and keep a track out of any signals coming out of this ship” she stated, “I’ve never truly figured out how an Ethereal feels yet” she added, leaning back in her seat.
 

Edited May 14, 2018 by GodofGamingRWBY

[StormLord]

After completing his new Keychain Frigus just sat and listened to the whole long conversation on Nader and Rachel's paranoia, totalitarianism vs other forms of government, and eventually more details on the other's personal worlds.

While he didn't exactly think totalitarianism was right he wasn't exactly supposed to make any comments on that sort of thing.  People tend to get tense or even angry when you question or disagree with their way of life(Proof in that very conversation, though they kept things very relaxed and civil.) and a shouting match over something so insignificant would've been less conducive to working together than biting your tongue and moving on even if you disagree.
Moving on from that and Rachel started talking about the darker forces of her own world.  Now that was something interesting.  He'd never encountered or heard of anything quite as....insidious as this "Warp" she described and its Gods.  The Heartless or Nobodies and their respective realms maybe, or "the Force" that Mirri had spoken of.  Her uses of the term "Psyker" lent themselves to relating to anything that seemed vaguely magical or supernatural in origin as well.

 

"That's an impressive list you've got there.  I've done a lot of digging on a lot of different worlds and nothing I've found has ever had something like that, a few similar things come to mind, such as the creatures we've been sent to defend against, but nothing quite as powerful, insidious, and directly controlled as that."

He paused, long enough for Rachel and the others to get used to another person having interjected into the conversation.

"Sorry for jumping in without warning like that, it just makes me wonder what it's nature relating too the rest of the multiverse is."

[Yours Truly]

"I'm fine with that just as long as I can nab a few of them to tinker around with later. Although I honestly doubt that I will be able to make that big of an impact anytime soon, as I'll have to try and kludge something together that is powerful enough to support the programs I have in my deck first...." He then ordered his surprisingly unused crawler drone over to him before he said, "But in all honesty just give me free access to several GREMLINs and some time and I'll give your deckers a little more than a fighting chance against ADVENT's security."

[DragonRage]

"You haven't seen evidence of the Warp, Frigus?  But that's...  It would mean..."  Sister Rachel trails off, mumbling to herself, eyes drifting toward the ceiling, before snapping back to Frigus.  "Everyone, I have a very important question for any of you who have experience with witches, sorcerers, and other sorts of supernatural being.  Have any of them ever been in danger of cranial explosions as a side effect of using their abilities?  Not because they made a mistake and conjured fire inside their own skull or something of that nature, but just because the source of their powers wasn't feeling cooperative today?"

[StormLord]

Frigus thought for a second, cranial explosions was oddly specific and while he wasn't familiar with that he did know of some magics that would famously eat the hearts and souls of reckless users.

"Well my magic won't cause heads to explode unless that's the point or...Hmm.  There are beings called the Heartless, they won't make your head explode but commanding them and using their powers eventually causes even the strongest to falter and convert to one of them.  They're one of the threats to the worlds I was originally trained to help deal with."

He sincerely hoped whatever this Warp was they wouldn't have to deal with it until they were far more powerful than they were now.

[DragonRage]

"You haven't seen the most common evidence of the warp, and it's statistically incredibly unlikely that you'd only meet people both lucky and skilled enough to avoid that fate," Sister Rachel reasons.  "And these PDF people have been trying to train psykers.  They'd be far more wary of daemons and spontaneous cranial detonation if there was any chance of them happening without deliberate malicious intent.  And that means...  There's no warp.  The warp is a unique feature of my own universe.  Praise the Emperor, there's no warp!  Hahaha!"  Grinning widely, the armored nun flicks the safeties on her inferno pistols, "I don't have to constantly keep an eye on you lot in case you start screaming about how you feel the warp overtaking you and it is a good pain!  I won't have to execute any of you to keep you from killing us all by mistake!  No chaos cultists, no warp storms, no asshole space elves...  The only enemies of humanity are ones that die when they are killed!  Unless this is the Paradise that awaits the faithful after death.  Considering the state of the Imperium, it wouldn't surprise me as much as I wish it would that heaven is enemies that stay dead."

[kj1225]

Aquila considers the question of the winged woman. After a bit he shrugs.

"Well, closest I know are the shaman... shamans? I think it's just shaman for multiple... Only ever worked with one... Anyway, to my knowledge exploding wasn't a risk for them to commune with the spirits. Really the riskiest thing was being too close to them when they felt hungry."

[Powder Miner]

Nader had been silent for a moment, running through his head the possibilities of Forenia getting invaded by extradimensional chaos monsters. Nonetheless, as the conversation moved on a bit, Nader found himself speaking again, having crossed his arms (and his guns were now on his back, so he wasn’t going to be beating anyone in the face with a Horsekiller barrel). ”Though I don’t doubt that these chaos beings, who aren’t truly gods —there is no god but Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah— anyway, though I don’t doubt for a moment these chaos beings wish us malice even across dimensions, I can confirm that there are no “psychics” or wizards at all on Earth, at least mine.

 

Now... perhaps this complicates things. Perhaps these beings really do make democracy more dangerous on your world... but I am not sure I believe it. There are many people who believe in my world too that democracy is doomed to failure. They believe that totalitarianism is the inevitable future. But as Moskurg and Arstotzka proved, as I am told that in at least Dr. Spaceman’s Earth the Nazis have proved, this isn’t the truth. You admit indoctrination yourself, which is a good step further than the awareness many have — have you considered that maybe everything is not quite as you have been told?”

[Strider]

"Ah, thanks. I'll take a look when we land, after the meld stuff."

 

Harry merely raised his eyebrows and shook his head ever so slightly at Nader. It didn't even make sense as a moniker, he wasn't a ship pilot or crewman, he was earth native, all that.

 

"Well, I suppose you're not wrong, democracies do need constant adaptation. No magic in my world, no spontaneous head explosions." Jesus, this woman's world sounded terrible beyond belief. Normally Harry would need to question how much was simply fearmongering by the leaders, but, spontaneous head explosions among those who use magic, and the other symptoms mentioned did not seem the type to be easily faked.

 

"You're world sounds, no offense, pretty shitty. Don't you have any good gods or anything? You're in a battle of attrition that you're losing, up against a set of gods. Is there any sliver of hope anywhere?" While he hesitated to ask it, and he didn't think it the right course of action, Harry was mostly wondering why everyone hadn't simply given up yet.

[DragonRage]

"My world is terrible," Sister Rachel confirms, "Most of the gods that are not in any way evil were killed and in most cases eaten by the chaos gods.  And most of those that remain are of the Eldar, who are so self-centered that they value a single life of their own kind over billions of human civilians.  The only god worthy of anything more than cautious respect for the danger they and their followers pose is the God-Emperor of Mankind.  I have utmost faith in his divinity and benevolence, but all too often do his avowwed servants disguise their own corrupt intentions under layers of carefully-chosen dogma.  There is also the Omnissiah of the Adeptus Mechanicus, but they still haven't come to an agreement as to whether the Omnissiah and the God-Emperor are the same being, or whether the Omnissiah is willing or even able to intercede on their behalf.  And the events of the Horus Heresy long ago have shackled the God-Emperor to his Golden Throne, a shadow of what he once was. 

 

"The details have been lost, or in some cases deliberately covered up, but if the Emperor still possessed the full measure of his power and vitality I am certain he would have left the Imperial Palace at least once in the ten thousand years since his son Horus betrayed him.  The God-Emperor's loyal sons are scattered, dead, or in stasis to ward off death from mortal wounds.  His traitorous sons, who followed Horus into chaos worship, are still nearly all active.  Horus at least is assuredly dead, and Mortarion hasn't done anything since the Heresy.  But no, there is little hope, and if there was it would only bring us closer to ruin.  Tzeentch is the god of hope, after all, and to hope too ardently is to give him a direct vox-line to your soul."  Based on looks, Sister Rachel couldn't be older than twenty-five, but her words seem to be aging her as she speaks.

 

"I could not even speak of these things where I still in the Imperium, without falling to Nurgle or being assassinated for treason and heresy, but the Imperium is falling apart.  The Primarchs are gone, the Mechanicus barely understands the technology it maintains for us, even mass-produced small arms from ancient times are irreplaceable assets, the greatest among the Astartes and Guardsmen die far faster than they can be replaced, and the damn bugs and fungus-beasts scavenge from the corpses of our shattered worlds, carving up the Imperium's remains like a First Founding roast!  And who would help us?  The Eldar?  Those self-centered assholes see humans as lower than animals!  The Tau?  They're being mind controlled by leaders they call Ethereals, and trying to brainwash as many humans as they can get to serve on suicide squads!  And the Necrons are literal soul-eating abominations!

 

"Perhaps...  Perhaps if the Salamanders Chapter were to find the rest of the lost relics of Vulkan, and their Primarch were to return to us, the Imperium might rally.  Even one of the Emperor's sons might turn the tide, especially Vulkan, the brightest and most moral of the loyal survivors.  Or knowing how life goes, he would soon be forced to lay down his life for the preservation of the Imperium, and then we would be left even worse off than before.  Worse yet, the Salamanders have been brought to the brink of annihilation a dozen times, and no one else has the expertise to handle Vulkan's treasures.  That is the only path that avoids the extinction of humanity that I can see, and it hangs by a thread so tenuous that we might only be allowed it so that one malevolent piece of trash or another can enjoy our despair when that thread snaps.  Oh, humanity will not go easily or swiftly into death.  We will make the xenos, and the heretic, and the abominations of the warp pay for every inch of ground, every life we spend, but that is a price they can afford to pay.

 

"No, the only hope that the Imperium has now is that humanity exists in other universes, free of all that would drive us to ruin in our own.  Even when we fall, humanity will endure, our executioners none the wiser."

[kj1225]

"Well... why don't we help you guys? We have that weird ship, maybe we can find enough people to fix what's wrong with your world."

Aquila says with a shrug. He'd be willing to help at least, it was his duty after all.

[StormLord]

Frigus thought while listening to Rachel speak.  Her homeworld really did sound horrible, and surely it was already drowning in the depths of the Realm of Darkness.

"Certainly we'll find something in our travels to help with that.  Once we've grown some and are confident in our powers we may very well be able to return to your world and revive or heal this Emperor and Vulkan you speak of."

Complete speculation of course, he had no clue what their actual state was and ten thousand years was a long time to be nearly dead, even if they did somehow revive them would they still be the same person?  It was a moot point right now anyway he supposed, they were here and not there and didn't have the ability to do anything noteworthy if there weren't.