Adeptus Anew

This isn't good. The emperor insisted that Vader attend hopefully he won't antagonise the mechanicus to much although hopefully they might get on. No the least I can hope for is that he doesn't antagonise them and that they don't dismiss the force and upset him.

"Arch Magos the council of Magos's is ready for the decent to the surface." "There is someone else I want."

I arrive at a great door I remember a similar one from my first position. I maintained the defences for one such temple for 242 rotations and kept them running during the rebellion until I was finally overrun. I was younger then barely 132 years old just a junior tech priest. I raise my cane and rap its skull on the door. Which creaks open. As I step inside a bolt of electricity lances at me. I smile as the motive force rushes through me.

"The blessing has extended the time before my holy augments require recalibration by 342 units, Gratitude." "Arch Magos you honour us with your presence the High priest is attending to the holy generator." "Gratitude."

Ah yes the generator one of the only things we salvaged from the temple I remember the High Priest back then sacrificing himself to protect this I imagine the current one would to and so would I if required I owe my life to this priesthood.

"High priest, I wish for you to accompany me to the demonstration." "Why" "I wish for your sight and I appreciate your company and insight." "I will accompany you then Arch Magos we owe you as much as you owe us." "Then it is decided, come."

She rose from her toils and followed me as we walked towards docking bay 1. When we arrive the Council of Magos are waiting. We all make our way into my ship arraying ourselves. I notice that Skitarii Alpha has squeezed onto the ship and so has Magos Falsen they will need correction later. The Archaeopter containing the Skitarii squad takes off after us and we are soon accompanied by fury interceptors as we make our way down to the surface.

Hopefully this goes well, a lot of important imperials such as Thrawn and Orson Krennic he probably want to see if the mechanicus can assist with Operation Stardust, they would probably be very beneficial but I won't let him poach them from me. And of course Vader is here I will admit he is a good general and instrument of fear his place is not on the negotiation table. I watch as the Arch Magos's shuttle descends it is accompanied by a winged vessel that appears to have legs, how did they get that through the atmosphere? The shuttle opens its door and the Arch Magos approaches he is accompanied by a variety of identically robed figures except a woman who appeared to have lightning running across her skin.

"Arch Magos it's a pleasure to see you again." "I doubt it I am not very pretty." "This is Admiral Thrawn."

As Thrawn stepped forward with his hand extended I saw the arch Magos's human eye flicker and others in the group twitched it seemed they were communicating somehow. Finally one of those mechanical tentacles slithered out of his robes and grasped Thrawn hand.

"This is Director Krennic." "A pleasure Arch Magos."

Krennic barely tries to hide his interest in the Arch Magos's cybernetics. The Arch Magos doesn't hesitate to shake his hand something that I'm sure Thrawn has picked up on. I introduce them to more of the assembled imperials until we finally reach Vader.

"This is Darth Vader." "Interesting you are heavily augmented Mr Vader."

Well there goes the attempts at diplomacy and it wasn't even Vader who messed it up. I expect the Arch Magos to start choking soon but he doesn't.

"A psyker, don't bother Mr Vader one of my earliest holy augments was to replace my Respiratory system. Oxygen does not travel through my neck and hasn't for centuries. If you continue my astemed colleague will introduce you to the motive force."

I can feel Vaders rage and he was just about to speak when lightning flashes between the woman's fingers. Vader seems to think better of retorting.

"Shall we proceed with the demonstration?" "Yes."

I lead both groups over to an observation platform from which we can watch the demonstration. I can see our stormtroopers assembled discussing the plan for the demonstration but when I look over to where the mechanicus's troops are assembled. They are also dressed in red robes what is it with the mechanicus and red robes. As I watch a figure walks among them wafting what appears to be incense and presumably praying while another has a box that they are typing on before pressing something, when she does the figures stiffen. Finally both sides are prepared.

"The first task is an obstacle course, the teams will have to work together to reach the end."

The stormtroopers were pulled from the 501st gratiously loaned by Darth Vader from how they interact I think they are mostly clones. They perform admirably working perfectly, however the Mechanicus's troops moved with mechanical precision and I hope they actually struggle with the next task as I definitely felt a bit disheartened when they jumped the 2 metre high wall as if it wasn't an obstacle.

"The second task is about accuracy there are 6 targets of increasing increments of 10 meters, every member of the squad should attempt to hit each target any who miss won't move on to the next target."

The stormtroopers were able to hit the first 4 targets with little issue however struggled to hit the 5th with 2 of them missing it and half of the rest missed the 6th target however since they are not using any form of long range blaster and simply have to use their E-11's. The Skitarii pulled out what appeared to be a flintlock rifle.

"Apologies but the Skitarii Rangers main weapon is the Galvanic Rifle and the only other option are either bleed radiation and aren't carried by Skitarii rangers, fire arcs of the motive force or are like the Galvanic Rifle."

Unsurprisingly the Skitarii hit every target most of them get bullseyes.

"The final task will be a hostage rescue. We have set up a building with droid defenders, inside is a designated hostage each squad has to secure the hostage and eliminate the hostiles."

The storm troopers did very well, moving well as unit and systematically eliminating the droids when they reached the hostage they found the droid holding the hostage at gun point neither squad was informed about this bit before hand. The stormtroopers performed admirably they manuvered the droid into turning its back and shot its hydraulics for the arm holding the blaster causing it to move the blaster away from the hostage and then they take it down. The Skitarii tear through the droids efficiently however when they reach the hostage they seem to struggle, as we watch they try to manuver however it is clear the language barrier isn't helping finally one leaps forward and grabs the blaster placing his hand over the barrel as his squad open fire.

"Hmm it seems that we may need to review our tactic programs and what language modules the Skitarii have." "Your troops do not seem to improvise very well." "They usually don't have to they are uploaded with the tactical programs and responses required for their assignment and if something not prepared for comes up a techpriest is always ready to assume control we simply didn't have a techpriest on standby as this was a demonstration. However I admit that the Skitarii are not designed to improvise and I had to loosen that one's restrictions otherwise they would have shot through the hostage to kill the droid." "The emperor will be most interested in your Skitarii Arch Magos however I feel inclined to ask as to their loyalty." "The Skitarii cannot disobey."

The Arch Magos tilts his head and suddenly on of the Skitarii lunges at another grabbing him and begins to smash his fists into the other.

"As you can see he will do whatever I command him to."

The Skitarii stops his assault and assists his fellow to his feet. It is a chilling display I doubt that even the stormtroopers would turn on his squad mate so easily or with such gusto.

"It is time for the air show."

As we watch tie fighters fly in formation and perform manuvers then it was the turn of the mechanicus's ships. They were larger than our tie fighters but performed much sharper turns and banks that should have caused the pilots to lose consciousness but with what I have seen from the mechanicus they might have the pilots outfitted with cybernetics designed to prevent that.

"Well Arch Magos would you walk with me."

The Arch Magos moved to walk with me his cybernetics seem to weigh him down judging on how much he relies on his cane. The woman walks behind us at a respectable distance now she is closer It looks like tears are running from beneath her blindfold.

"When we last spoke you requested we give you planets to use, however that wouldn't be beneficial to us so what do you propose?" "We have considered that so we would offer you planets that do not belong to the empire. We have selected two that would be beneficial to us and you. The first is Tattooine our research places it under the control of an xeno called Jabba the Hutt we would offer you his death and control of the planet via our occupation. We wish to create an equatorial strip mine of 20 kilometres in width we would use the population of the planet and servitors to mine it, we would set up 24 hab cities 12 on each side of the strip mine. We would set up factorums to produce basic components that you require. Would this be acceptable?"

They have done their research, tattooine is barely worth anything in resources otherwise the Hutts would have mined it however maybe the Mechanicus can extract resources from the desert. I will have to-

"That is acceptable Arch Magos you have the emperors permission to take Tattooine and rule it however you will have to deal with the fallout alone." "Thank you Mr Vader."

I can feel Vaders rage at the Arch Magos's refusal to use his title I suspect it has something with how the Arch Magos referred to him him as a psyker, some form of disgust filtered into his mechanical voice. I hope Vader doesn't try to enact any form of revenge on the Arch Magos I have stood in rooms where even the strongest tremble when faced with a predator like Vader but not the Arch Magos he is like me, like Vader a predator in a world of prey he may pretend to be an old man and maybe he is but he is dangerous I doubt that a man like him could attain his position without being such. When ever I look at him I see not the hunched man leaning heavily on his cane, I see the look in his eye the look of someone who recognises me as an equal.

Well that went well. I have permission to take Tattooine and we can begin the intergration of the mechanicus into the empire. However there was they Blue officer. Thrawn he looked differently at me the others saw in me a way to increase their power but he, he saw me not as a person to be used but as a threat he saw what the others didn't Tarkin clearly knows that I am like him but his arrogance makes him believe I am still weak and manipulatable but Thrawn sees us for what we are a symbiotic entity that likes to have a host but does not need one we can function without a host to prop us up but we enjoy having a host to need us.

"What did you think of them?" "There troops are efficient but flawed however over half the squad has 62% similarity which indicates cloning. Most of the officers were lazy, uninterested in the show. However the man designated Director Krennic shows fluctuations concurrent with increased interest when we demonstrated efficiency. He was also listening in on your conversation with designation Grand Moff Tarkin and showed similar fluctuations when you mentioned using servitors he seems to wish to utilise the mechanicus for his own purposes." "Gratitude High priest your assessment lines up with my own this will be a most beneficial alliance."