Chapter 16 Part 6

Chapter 16: Tenuous pacts

=ATBS=

Part 6

=ATBS=​

Victory Bay

Kronus

The Propaganda Department went all in. Priests from all over the region arrived early in the morning. They led steadily growing crowds until the streets were packed to bursting. Incense and blessed oils burned, covering nearly a quarter of the city in billowing clouds of smoke. In all of this, a single long street was mostly empty, with whole Infantry Regiments lining the road and keeping the rapturous onlookers away.

What should have been a relatively simple ceremony became the centerpiece of a victory parade. Today was going to go down in history. The only question was how.

Three PDF Regiments headed the parade. The local boys and girls marched with pride to thunderous ovations.

A veteran Infantry Regiment came next, calm, composed, and gleaming thanks to their polished Carapace Armor. Officers, Commissars, and Sergeants marched in front of infantry blocks, while military marches came to life thanks to Mechanicus' efforts. Hundreds of modified Servo Skulls floated above the crowds transmitting the music, while even more of the gilded devices buzzed around, carrying burning incense.

Flags fluttered in the light wind, either waved by the citizenry, or rippling around the walls of buildings as far as the eye could see. Banner bearers marched proudly at the head of every formation, leading the way.

A trio of Aeronautica Imperialis craft roared through the sky, the only operational pair of Lighting Interceptors and a single painstakingly repaired bomber. Again and again, they flew above the parade, executing the ancient Missing Wingman Formation for every lost pilot during the fighting to save Kronus.

The armor came next. All kinds of light vehicles drove slowly, so everyone could see them, followed by the armored fist of the Guard, its tank formations. Seals and decorations covered each vehicle displayed their accomplishments for all to see.

Right in the center of the formation rumbled the Baneblade. It was freshly painted, blessed, and sanctified after the fighting on the Deimos Peninsula. Nearly a thousand Purity seals blessed by a hundred Priests covered its hull.

From where I stood, surrounded by various local dignitaries and guests, I could see ghostly shells fueled by faith around every vehicle. Those constructs protected their crews and Machine Spirits from Chaos corruption.

As soon as the vehicles appeared, all present Martians began their chants, uttering prayers and litanies praising the Omnissiah's gifts. And beside us, standing on a hastily but carefully constructed scaffolding stood the prize of the day, draped with huge red veils. Countless seals covered it, and it nearly swam in steaming sacred oil. Dozens of Martians surrounded the massive Titan weapon and prayed to it.

I could see Selene in a lower corner of the stands, sitting on Sergeant Bron's shoulders and waving at the parade. From time to time she would look shyly up as if to check if I had vanished.

Not a few meters away sat our Eldar guests. A Warlock, the crew of a single tank, and Rohan the Ranger. Their armors did an excellent job hiding their faces. However, I could feel their bubbling emotions. And they were delicious.

They knew what today represented and probably could detect the Necrons hiding around us, watching everything. The Emperor's radiance still bathed Kronus, and I hoped it was a sign that we were on the right path, instead of making a terrible mistake.

It was too late for second thoughts now. The pact was sealed. We did that early this morning at General Alexander's HQ. It was simple and to the point. What we were doing right now was a show for the citizenry and the military who might have to work with the aliens in the future.

It was also a message. One we were sending loudly and clearly to our Eldar guests, their masters, and the Tau who undoubtedly watched.

The Baneblade slowly rumbled past us, with Colonel Roval waving at the crowds from the top of the cupola. He looked positively tiny, which served to reinforce the sheer size of the super-heavy tank.

It had to drive slowly through the street, or it would risk clipping one of the troopers keeping the crowd from doing something stupid. The mob itself kept screaming itself hoarse, yet their cries of joy didn't splutter out. Their jubilation was almost contagious and resonated through the Warp. Their raw emotions flowed straight into it and under the Emperor's cage, there was nothing to poison those feelings. Or consume them.

I knew it wouldn't and couldn't last. However, those of us with the senses to see had the privilege to experience the Immaterium how it was before the Eldar murder-fucked and tortured it into insanity. Frankly, for a moment I didn't know if I could hold myself back from lashing at Rohan and his party on general principle. My mind pulsed with the echoes from the emotions of hundreds of thousands. Their faith flowed into me, first like a trickle, then like a small river, which passed through on its way to the Emperor.

My wings shone brighter than ever before, and soon a soft golden glow surrounded me. This only fed back into the crowd, which went wilder.

I took a moment to look over the stand, trying to distract myself from the emotions bombarding me. General Alexander and his party were to my left, with Captain Thule and some of his commanders towering behind the Guard Officers, just like Anteas stood above my shoulder. Amberley and her retinue were to my right, between the Eldar and me.

Local notables stood around us, basking into the glory and screaming their support as loud as they could. Many of them were even genuine in their jubilation. I made mental note to point out those who weren't to Amberley and the Arbiters.

The Baneblade came to a ponderous stop right in front of the park where the Hellstorm Cannon stood. So did twenty Leman Russ tanks and four Blood Raven Predators. A pair of Dreadnoughts heavy with seals of all stripes walked by until they flanked the super-heavy tanks like an honor guard.

Binary chanting rose in volume, and the music changed. A hymn to the Omnissiah silenced every other sound in the city and even the crowds quieted down, straining to listen and see. Thanks to a pneumatic system, our stand slowly rotated, so now we faced the Titan cannon.

Heat haze covered it, and the holy oils smearing it bubbled. Even some of the purity seals covering it began to smoke.

That wasn't right… I narrowed my eyes at the immense weapon. I could sense my fellow Psykers warily let out their senses spread through the Immaterium as well.

There was something here that didn't belong. A foreign, presence that was simply wrong, and it was stirring. The Emperor's light shone here, and the concentrated prayers of a whole world bathing this place stood ill at ease with whatever that thing was.

The Eldar Warlock figured out something first and recoiled as if struck.

It was deep within the cannon, entwined with its components, hidden and slumbering for eons. Yet, now it stirred, irritated, and weakened by a power that was anathema to its very existence surrounding it, pushing it down and containing it. Soon, it was going to awake.

My wings went out to their full spread in a threatening posture. Rot and decay assaulted my senses. Corruption and nihilism practically radiated from the heart of the cannon. Now that I saw them, I couldn't unsee. I couldn't understand how could such a thing remained hidden, instead of making every Psyker on the continent vomit and choke in revulsion as soon as they touched the Warp.

Sweet merciful Emperor, what did those crazy bastards dig out?!