First Contact

Outer boundary of the Imperium.

Star system Epsilon, Planet Zyk (second from the sun).

A newly terraformed farming planet, one of the hundreds of thousands that serve the Empire by providing pivotal resources for the war effort against the traitors, the dark ones, and the demons.

And these resources, are soldiers.

Warriors that will either join the Imperial Navy or if they are blessed by the Emperor, one of the Legions under the Holy Sons.

On the western landmass the sun had set.

Spring was just starting with occasional bouts of light snowfall during the middle of the night, while the days were pleasantly cool.

There was a community of no more than fifty thousand residents near a large lake.

The population mostly consisted of humans with a few other races mixed in, but they all lived together without any problems.

They had to, to survive here, and they knew better.

They were a mix of survivors from various pirate attacks in the nearby systems and immigrants that had been traveling across the stars for generations, finally finding a safe haven they could call home.

Here they had clean water and air, the earth beneath their feet, and vast stretches of land where they could run free.

Although the planet was deemed as a Class-2 Shelter, meaning it had no 'significant' threats to normal humans, but that didn't mean there was nothing to worry about.

Some of the local wildlife was deemed hazardous by the imperial science officers and was intended for disposal pending further investigation.

In the planet's orbit were two imperial warships, a frigate, and a battlecruiser.

Since no planetary defense systems had been set up, they were the only source of protection for the civilians on the surface.

It was a little past 9 p.m standard earth time.

On a small farm near the northern end of the lake, a human boy less than ten years of age sat on the makeshift dock with his legs dangling in the water.

There was a bruise on his right arm that he kept rubbing while mumbling under his breath.

"Stupid brothers, making me do all the chores and playing by themselves. I'll tell dad when he comes back tomorrow and get all you guys in trouble!"

Behind him, merry sounds of laughing and occasional shouting could be heard coming from the house.

The boy turned around and looked towards the house enviously with tears in his eyes. And while he was distracted by them, the lake water rippled.

A wave of bright blue light shot up from the bottom of the lake but disappeared just before reaching the surface.

The boy stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes with a stern look.

"Stupid brothers! How can you laugh when I'm hurt like this!" he shouted and stomped his feet on the dock.

Unbeknownst to him, the lake water behind him had receded to a large degree before coming back in full force.

But this water felt different. It was inky black, so much so that a normal person wouldn't even be able to see their hand if held right against their face.

A ripple appeared in the middle of the lake, followed by several air bubbles.

And then another one, this one so large that it created a 2-foot wave, finally catching the boy's attention.

The boy was startled by the noise. His tantrum coming to a complete halt.

He turned around and peered towards the lake that perfectly reflected the stars above.

His ears twitched, listening for any sound out there but there was nothing. It was completely silent.

There was nothing in the water either. He stared at it for a good few seconds before swiftly turning around.

He realized that at some point, his back had been caked in sweat. The hair on the back of his neck stood upright. He didn't understand why but out of pure instinct he wanted to get away from the water.

His heartbeat quickened as he took a few steady steps forward.

The words of advice from his oldest brother who was an Imperial soldier rang clearly in his ears at this moment.

"Stay calm! Take in a deep breath and analyze your environment. Do not lose your cool, no matter what."

He turned his head slightly to the right and peered back from the corner of his eye. The foot that he had just raised froze in midair.

There was something in the water, staring at him.

He couldn't see it before because he was too close but after moving some distance away, he could see its outline under the bright moonlight and those seven or eight eyes that gleamed even under the murky water.

Teary eyed again, a whimper escaped from his lips.

Somehow, he realized the thing was looking at him.

"B-Brother..." he called out weakly.

The same brother he was cursing out a minute ago was the only one he could remember right now.

He tried to run away but his body wasn't his to control anymore.

The water moved.