Secrets of the God of War

"The Lord of Steel encourages labour. By working today, we build tomorrow!"

Propaganda flyer on Mira Forge.

Citadel Space | Citadel | Imperial Embassy

- You have crossed the border! - Sparatus almost spat and yelled. - If you did that, then there can be no truce! - The other Councillors had been silent so far. Still, their escort of fifty soldiers and SBC troops clearly indicated their intentions.

- I do not know what you are talking about. - So far, only you intruded on our embassy and threatened me. And I had to call in the garrison squad for the proceedings. - The scrolling barrels of heavy pulse guns behind Legatus' back made it clear that the soldiers weren't too happy to see the visitors. Particularly unnerving was the fact that there were three times as many legionnaires as citadel soldiers. How so many intelligent ones got through the guard posts is still a mystery...

- DON'T YOU GET IT?! - The Turian was already roaring- Communication with the Hegemony was completely lost, there was a fuel explosion at their embassy today, and the number of accidents to members of their race exceeded the general level five times! And don't you dare try to tell me it wasn't you! - The ambassador wouldn't let it go.

- We know about the Bavarian capital. I thought you already knew, but with that barbarity of speech and that low level of technology," the snarl came from the Southerner, "I'll let you know.

He passed behind the cordon of legionnaires and soon returned with a tablet in his hands. He glanced at the angry advisors, turned to the screen, and began to read:

- "Report received four days ago from the patrol squadron: 'While patrolling the area known as Segmentum Persei,' that place you call the Skillian Limit, 'we detected a bright flash characterised by astrochron as an anomalous space disturbance. A scout ship in the system relayed information about the anomaly before it was destroyed. The explosion occurred in the area of the spatial catapult, which was near the metropolitan system. The blast wave completely destroyed all the planets in the system. No survivors were found by the arriving ships." The remaining colonies' fate is unknown to us, but we have not found any signals of survivors; we are still searching.

After reading it, he looked again at the councillors. With huge eyes, Azari was looking at the Legatus and the others, covering her face with her hands because of the realisation of the tragedy. The Turian and the Salarian were also at a loss.

- What caused the explosion? - The woman babbled.

- Our analysts assume a terrorist attack by a powerful group or organisation using WMD. It most likely consists of xenophobic fanatics who have turned against the Batarians.

- That's a silly theory. - The turian snapped back. - They were part of Space, and there isn't a race with hatred for them.

- We know their race was a pirate and slave-trade race, and many people could want revenge.

- How can you prove your information? - The Counselor made one last offensive attempt.

- The exit catapult leading out of the system has stagnated. It was no longer useful and could not be used to move.

There was nothing else to counter it, so they ended the conversation. An azari stepped forward.

- Legate, we apologise for invading your embassy. We had no information about the tragedy and were still under the influence of the recent war. Would you like anything in compensation?

- You have not destroyed anything, so you have nothing to pay for, and I am not sorry for my time; I still have too much. - At these words, they began to leave the room, but the Turian advisor was still very angry and looked at the Terran once more with hatred.

As soon as the gates to the embassy closed and the guards took control, the Legate addressed the darkness in one corner of the hall.

- Zars, the turian, is causing trouble and yelling too much. He must disappear. - The figure in the shadows nodded and vanished into it. - You pry too much into our plans, Turian. Your existence interferes with the Empire.

POV Sparatus.

This time we needed to be corrected. We should inform the Primarch of such a gap in information about the repeater. But I don't believe they aren't outsiders. They've got a lot of nerve. And we won't accept this truce. We'll have to bring up the issue of military build-up. I don't care about all these limiting treaties; if the Hierarchy doesn't restore its glory, there will be no point in us anymore.

With these thoughts in mind, I reached my X3M, near where my driver was waiting for me.

- Mr Ambassador. - He stretched out.

- Arius, take me to the residential areas, then you can be free until tomorrow. - We got into the car, and it soared silently into the air.

- Today didn't work out?

- No, this time, it doesn't seem to be them. But that's okay. We'll get rid of them, too.

- I hope so. - He watched the stream in silence.

- It's strange..." he said after a few minutes, "The interface is not working as well as it used to. Shouldn't we send it back to the service?

- "You're really bothering us, Sparatus." - came over the loudspeaker.

- The car is under someone else's control! None of the systems are working! - Shouted the pilot in some distance.

- "Who is disturbing the peace of Terra..."

- Counselor, can you hear me?! - The driver yelled. And I kept staring at the speaker like I was spellbound.

- "That one must die." - The car abruptly changed course and sped into oncoming traffic. A second later, it went head-on with a truck, and a moment later, there was an explosion in the air. It damaged the other cars. They fell and crashed. Soon the ground beneath the crash site was engulfed in flames, and the death toll was over a hundred. But the Emperor's secret servants did not care about the number of victims, especially the outsiders who must be sacrificed to fulfil His will...

Sacred Terra | The Emperor's Palace

- My Emperor," the Legatus hologram announced, "I have taken responsibility and ordered the neutralisation of Counselor Sparatus. He was directing races against us and could interfere with our plans.

- Do you have a plan of action next? - He started a very dangerous game; if left unchecked, it could backfire on us.

- Yes. No clue will lead us; it's all set up as mismanagement. But it doesn't matter. We, through frontmen, will have a candidate for office. He supports settling internal problems and will be the least of our problems. If we knock the Hierarchy out of its aggressive position, the other races won't be able to oppose us much.

- I hope so. Our relationship with the Citadel is yours; I believe in your powers.

- The Empire gives it to me. - At those words, he passed out.

Good. I wish I could do without a special secret game, especially in the higher echelons of power. Still, they did not want to be appeased. All right, let's see what happens. By the way, we should be more specific about Karos' opening.

I sat on the throne and tapped into the system, and in a second, I was already on Mars, on a secondary platform. It was an ordinary, only tall man wearing the white robe of a Magister. I was the only one wearing it, and it allowed the other adepts to recognise me. After checking my mobility, I stepped out of the system room. Immediately I found myself in a huge hall. From one side of the hall to the other was a rather wide bridge, with hundreds of adepts moving across it. Numerous branches of the path made it possible to get anywhere in this gigantic structure in a short amount of time.

As I reached the edge of the bridge, I looked down. Thousands of conveyor belts carrying parts or finished products. The belts snake through the assembly shops or are assembled by numerous manipulators. Later, the products were sent to bottomless warehouses beneath the planet's shell or to the troops who needed the equipment.

Huge vats of liquid metal were moved on special rails and hidden in various tunnels or lowered, and the contents were poured into special moulds. From the glow of the red-hot metal, the shop itself was also immersed in a red-orange light.

Separately, a heavy synthesiser was visible. It was used to make highly complex electronics and similar things.

After watching all this movement, which was mesmerising in its infinity, I moved on over the bridge. All along the way, all the oncoming adepts bowed before me and parted ways, so there were no delays.

I walked through huge workshops like the first hall. I walked through the halls, filled with rows and rows of machinery, from passenger cars to huge tanks to the pinnacle of military mechanics, the Titans. True, they were stored in a separate stasis room. There they were kept in eternal sleep until the Empire needed their power. It wasn't just the Titans who had pilots implanted in stasis, but more about them later.

I also went through the Martian Archives. Perhaps the largest repository of information in the entire inhabited galaxy. On paper scrolls, in special storage chambers, were blueprints of every machine in the Empire, all the discoveries made over these two thousand years, everything we have achieved. It was only accessible by special permission given to very few people. After observing the work of the knowledge keepers, I moved on to the elevator to take me to the planet's centre.

Soon the machine took me to the most secret of halls, where all the secrets of the Empire were hidden. Walking down the corridor, I looked around at the countless halls that could be viewed through the glass leading down the corridor. Some were testing the latest weapons on captured Turians. For example, they were examining what would happen to an alien if a prototype electric discharge device was used on him. The poor man tries to break free from the shackles that fix him to the wall while the adepts quietly adjust the weapon. Soon they are out of the hall, not looking at the Xenos' screams and watching for a reaction. And it is not long in coming. Lightning flashes; all that is left is a blue stain on the wall and debris all over the room. The adepts begin to congratulate each other on such a good invention.

To the left, they test new kinds of viruses and gases. In the locked room, a dozen Turians are beating in agony, their eyes starting to leak because of the poison. Watching them through the glass, the adepts discuss what to add to the gas to make it even more lethal. It's a good thing there's soundproofing everywhere. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to work.

In the next room, a group of adepts dissects an azari. The girl is still alive and convulsing, but they need to learn about the weaknesses of her race, so they won't let her go to the Goddess.

I walked between the rooms and came to the largest one. There were two of the Servants waiting for me at the entrance, and they bowed and parted when they saw me. Once inside, I found myself in what looked like the arena of the Colosseum, only smaller. In the arena, a superhuman was fighting various versions of bots and wild beasts. Taller than even the tallest humans, with the physique of the best of athletes and the speed of the fastest humans, his strength tossed his opponents in all directions. Nothing could stop mankind's new super warrior, the Praetorian...

I found myself on the vast podium, where a group of adepts, led by Karos, were discussing the battle. I headed toward him. As I approached almost intimately, I was noticed by the group, who, after bowing, let me in to see my old friend. Walking down the formed corridor, I came out to two chairs, one occupied by Archi-Magister. Taking the next one, I watched the fight for a couple of minutes and then turned to the mechanic:

- Congratulations on your success, I see?

- Yes, my Emperor. We have created a new warrior unrivalled in the galaxy. We are still developing his equipment, but even now, he is a perfect war machine.

- I am pleased with your work, Karos. How quickly is the improvement going?

- Quite a long time, about a day per man. Very complicated rituals and implant spirits are quite capricious, but once improved, they are bound to the warrior to death. And it takes a huge amount of resources; only some survive.

- Do an upgrade of named Legions. Ordinary ones are not worth it. Soldiers need symbols for which to develop their skills and valour. They need a symbol of the Empire, and outsiders need a symbol of our war machine that will instil fear in them by its mere presence.

- It will be done. What about the first warrior? Which Legion shall he join?

- I have a special gift for him. Let's go. - I got up and headed for the arena.

Soon our column entered the field, from which, by that time, all bots and animals had been removed, leaving only the warrior, who knelt before me.

- My Emperor. - His voice trembled with exertion from the battle and knowing who was before him. A former Legate, badly wounded during the Battle of South and Central America. After walking with his fighters through the hell of the jungle and destroying the enemy, they were scattered to different legions. But not all of them. Many of them were badly poisoned by the locals' weapons. At the end of the campaign, one hundred and the centurion were put into stasis, hoping to cure them afterwards. They were forgotten, and now, nearly two thousand years later, their feat is remembered again. And now the commander of that Legion stands before me, ready to continue the eternal war.

- Arise, warrior, what is your name?

- Alexander, my Lord. Of the family of the Flintseys. My ancestors were Greeks in Southern Italy, but my life has been given to the Empire.

- Alexander... Protector of Men... You will be a great warrior, guardian of the Empire, and bringer of light. But you will not be alone. As Macedon conquered the world with his warriors, you, too, will need loyal brothers to accomplish things. So listen..." I held out my hand, which began to run with lightning.

I, Eternal Emperor of the Sea of Stars, Lord of billions of people and thousands of planets, here and now create a new Legion and let it defend the Empire to the last drop of blood and will fight until the last scum of the galaxy falls! - At these words, synthesisers on my hand began to create a richly decorated half-sword; as soon as the process was completed, I handed it to the Legate;- May your Legion dissect the darkness of Space through which the Empire goes as this blade dissects the flesh of your enemies.

With trembling hands, the warrior accepted the blade and ran his hand over it, getting used to its unusual appearance. It looked more suited to the Middle Ages than to antiquity.

- By the power given to me by the faith of people and the power over the Sea of Stars, I name a new legion - "Sons of the Lion", so that the fury of the great beasts, to lead you to new feats! - At these words, all the reasonable ones in the arena bowed before the new Lion, the Angel of the Emperor...