In the Grimdark Sector with a System

Author Notes:

Shoutout to Captain McChilly for supporting the Imperium and the Belkan Reich! And welcome back, Captain Li1 Mainy! Hope you all have fun reading up on the early chapters!

Now, as you may expected, this chapter was delayed by a day due to my Mom catching the flu/cold. I am now watching over her currently, so any delay in the short future is probably due to this particular sickness that Mom is having. I need to prioritize, after all, and I do apologize in advance.

Other than that, the discount is still on! So grab it while it's hot, ya'll~!

There are advanced chapters on P-atreon for both of my fics, with a couple of special bonuses if you read the fine print :D

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For my fics:

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Our entry point into Battlestar Pegasus is through one of her upper flight pods. There, the Tech-priests have opened a sizeable hole through a blast door. Politely, I thank the Tech-priests for accomplishing such menial work, having noticed that most of them are friendly or familiar faces. Afterward, I accompany the Guards in climbing heavy-duty scaffolding and steel plates that act as stairs for the Space Marines. It's only through such methods that we can ensure the steps don't break halfway when a Salamander sets foot on them. While it may come as a surprise to some, the Guards are moving in front of the formation of Sisters of Battle and Space Marines instead of vice versa. I don't really know how it usually goes in the lore materiel for the 40K universe, but out here where there are nasty surprises that may even one-shot a Space Marine? Yeah, the Guards are acting as the point man, or point unit in this case. It's always better for the Guards to trigger any ambush first before they can hit the much, much more valuable Sisters of Battle and Space Marines behind them. At least, that's how the Canadian 8th works.

I find myself agreeing to such a doctrine, even if it puts me and my unit in danger. No matter how you look at it, the values of a Sister or a Space Marine are immeasurable. Each of them is a paragon of skill, experience, and wisdom. Each of them is invested with firepower and protection that cost enough Thrones to outfit a whole Imperial Guard Company. Losing even one of them is unacceptable, especially when they're accompanied by a Guard unit. Such a prospect is a stain on the Guard Regiment's honor as a whole and an investigation will be launched. If the negative outcome is attributed to the negligence of duty then the easy way out will be that of a Commissar's bolter. There are worse fates than execution for ineptitude and cowardice. A true Imperial Guard will not hesitate to brave the Warp's horrors if it will ensure the longevity of the Imperium's finest. That is the sentiment shared by the Cadian 8th, Sergeant Johnson's 3rd Platoon, and ultimately, myself.

Now that Mama and Tsavorae are truly behind me though... I won't shy away from a showdown with Khorne if the situation calls for it. I value my life, but there is something much more important than that in this grimdark verse of mine. This is one of the reasons why I bring a ballistic shield and walk in the very front. Unlike before where I hang back with Weiss, the confined of a vessel means that I have to adapt my approach if I am to have everyone get out alive if worse comes to worst. By the way, the in-universe name for the shield is Carapace Shield, which is constructed using some of the material and technology derived from the Carapace Armor. Nothing truly fancy, but the protection it offers is way, way better than the standard-issued Flak Armor that 3rd Platoon is wearing. Obviously, it won't stand against much punishment from, let's say, a bolter round. Although to be quite honest, you will want to duck and weave when being shot at by something of that caliber.

Stepping into the Pegasus' flight pod, the first thing that the Guards and I do is... Turning on the helmet lights or the flashlights attached to our lasrifles or laspistol. Yeah, there's little to no visibility inside the Pegasus. The only light source prior to our torches was the ambient lighting coming from the hole the Tech-priests cut. By the way, Battle Meditation is in effect, but the effects may not be easily noticeable.

"Ok, Froggers, Ein will take point." Johnson speaks up. "Weiss, stick with the Corporal. The rest of you, fan out and watch your steps."

3rd Platoon complies with the order silently, tactically seizing the corners and nearby covers as we make space for the Salamanders and Mama's Sisters of Battle. Weiss and I pick wreck to crouch behind, which is surprisingly a crashed Colonial Raptor Mark IIb Heavy, before scanning the rest of the Pegasus' hangar for anything else of note. While 3rd Platoon is on alert for the unknown, Mama and Chapter Master Tu'shan lead their sisters and brothers up the ramp. Following right behind them is a unit of Tech-priests and Guardsmen. Unlike us Imperial Guards, the helmets of the Sisters and Salamanders have built-in photo-visor for low-light visibility, or night vision for short.

Wordlessly, I turn to Johnson who then makes a hand signal for the Platoon to creep up and clear the rest of the hangar. Standing up and hoisting my Carapace Shield on my left hand, my right is holding a laspistol with a laser/flashlight combo, I lead the rest of 3rd Platoon forward with Weiss right behind me. Advancing in a slightly uneven line formation, owing to the many clutter and voidcraft in unknown service condition, 3rd Platoon checks every dark corner or crevice for potential danger. Sensor-skulls are also employed to detect and mark potential hazards like unexploded ordinances or hidden traps. While we don't see any of the latter, what we soon discover a mere ten steps forward is bodies... Numerous bodies.

"What the heck happened to these poor sods...?" A member of the 3rd asks who is also our Platoon's medic. "They seem to either perish while fighting something or are clutching their chests as if they're without oxygen. Other than that, I think they're pretty much human, judging by their anatomy."

"Faulty life support?" Johnson shrugs, stepping over the husk that used to be a human crewmember. "Won't be the first time we see something like this. And I think we established that they're humans with how they're using Low Gothic on the exterior hull."

I hold my tongue, not willing to comment just yet. Weiss is also much of the same, holding her lasrifle up with a keen wariness. Once again, an action that is not very Rookie-like of her. Still, no malice, no issue, yet.

Chief Librarian Vel'cona, who is walking right next to Tu'shan, comments audibly through his helmet. "While it may be muffled by the volume of this voidship, I come to sense no life, at least in our near vicinity."

"A dead hulk, you say?" Tu'shan raises an eyebrow beneath his helmet as he stops to scan the obviously forgotten battlefield.

"It would seem so, for now." Vel'cona nods.

"Still, caution must be upheld. Whoever or whatever slayed the crew of this Pegasus could very well be here, hidden out of sight." Mama adds before turning to Tsavorae. "Palatine, take a Fireteam and escort 3rd Platoon. They may very well be the first to be hit by a potential ambush."

"Understood, Canoness Superior." Tsavorae nods seriously before stepping ahead of Mama and the Salamanders, leading a team of four other Sisters of Battle.

Very soon, I can feel Tsavorae and the Sisters' presence spreading behind Weiss and me. I slightly quirk my lips upward, yet not commenting on their actions. Instead, I keep walking ahead slowly. Noting down any object of interest, I soon come across another blast door, one that separates the upper hangar from the rest of the Battlestar. Stopping at the door, which is also one of the last spots we need to check, we come to see something... Most troubling.

I speak up through the local vox channel and alert the JTF units in the hangar. "Be advised, we may have come across an explanation as to what happened to this voidship and her crew. Convene by the left-side blast door when you can."

Warily, I crouch down to get a closer look at our new subject of interest, my laspistol's targeting laser is still trained on the head of the thing. Weiss, mirroring my action, asks.

"What is that ugly thing...?"

Tsavorae, who is towering behind us with her bolter aims right for the thing's center mass, adds. "Whatever it is, it ain't biological. So Necrons?"

I shrug, feigning ignorance with ease while looking at a Cylon Centurion leaning against the blast door. It seems to be trying to get in before being deactivated or destroyed, judging from the battle scars and holes.

"They don't share the same aesthetic, though the skeletonized design seems to fit. Still, I don't think there's ever a case of a Necron sporting a gleaming Chrome exterior, at least not that I know of."

Coming to a thumping stop behind us, Tu'shan interjects. "Indeed, young Ein. This is a most interesting find."

Mama nods. "Whatever it is, it seems mechanical and fits none of the known design language."

I shake my head before standing up, turning to look at Johnson escorting the Tech-priests up to near the blast door. "Magos Hedagine, we must trouble you to identify our finding, then. The being seems to be mechanical in nature, lacking any noticeable biological aspect. Robotic, at worse, but if not that..."

"Then it's an Abominable Intelligence." Comes the reply of the female Magos. Slamming her multi-purpose staff onto the metallic floor with a resounding clank, the Magos continues. "This matter will require careful investigation. The Tech-priests will analyze this potential threat as well as open the doorway ahead."

Tu'shan nods. "Then we will remain on guard until the blast door is removed."

"If the threats are mere machines in nature, I fear that my ability to detect will be drastically reduced." Vel'cona warns. "They are, after all, unalive."

Mama adds. "The way things are, the Pegasus could have been hit by a boarding action. Machines don't need rest like humans, it may be possible that some of them are still active, depending on how long this vessel had been adrift."

Tu'shan hums lowly in agreement. "Then it's a good thing we bring enough firepower aboard. I want everyone to spread out and see if you can find anymore..." The Chapter Master struggles to coin a term for the Cylon.

I helpfully suggest. "Clanker?"

Tu'shan nods at me in gratefulness before finishing his sentence. "See if you can find any more of the Clankers for the Tech-priests to catalog. They could be hidden among the wreckage."

Magos Hedagine adds a warning. "Yes, but be warned that these... Clankers are armed. Each of their metallic arms is equipped with a kinetic weapon, hidden beneath retractable protective shells."

To demonstrate her point, the Magos uses her mechanical limbs to reveal the Cylon Centurion's hidden weaponry. "It doesn't seem to be that devastating, given their small sizes, but one must remain vigilant, nonetheless. Machines are known to be accurate in their aims."

"Duly noted, Magos." Tu'shan and nearly everyone nod, taking the advice to heart.

This is unknown territory, after all, caution is always preferable. Accompanying 3rd Platoon and some Salamanders to once again canvas the hangar, I stop for a bit to wordlessly nod at Mama. She pats my shoulder reassuringly, letting me know that she won't go anywhere. I smile behind my helmet before returning to the formation. In between the search, I idly wonder whether or not we will see some CQC action against a truly mechanical enemy.

Knowing the 40K universe, we may very well see some by the end of the day.