Warhammer: The 11th Primarch - The Black Emperor

Brenna Star System, Capital World: Brenna

After listening to Howard's report on the conquest of two star systems, Nareth shifted his attention to the captured Aeldars.

"What have we gotten out of the prisoners so far?"

"Father, ever since their capture, no matter what interrogation method we used, they haven't said a word. We've extracted nothing from them."

While speaking, Howard operated his data slate, projecting footage of the ambush and interrogation.

Nareth's eyes focused on the ambush: several red-armored warriors seated in sleek anti-grav skimmers sped toward them.

The red vehicles extended blade-like wings from both sides of their undercarriage.

He quickly noticed the airborne jetbikes and the serpent sigils on the Aeldar helmets, not the snakes of Old Terra, but the Cosmic Serpent from ancient Aeldar mythology.

'Red armor. Windrider jetbikes. Cosmic Serpent insignia.'

'The Saim-Hann Craftworld.'

Nareth recalled that in the Aeldar myth, the serpent was believed to exist simultaneously in the material and psychic universes.

It was said to know all secrets, past and present. "Saim-Hann" itself means "Quest for Enlightenment." In their lexicon, both the serpent and secret knowledge could be described with the word "Saim."

Thus, they proudly bore the serpent as their emblem, painting it on their jetbikes, tanks, and aircraft.

After confirming the origin, Nareth felt a wave of confusion:

'Saim-Hann operates mainly in the western Galactic region in the areas of Pacificus Segmentum… what are they doing here, in this Sector?'

"Take me to the prisoners."

He issued the command, and the Arbiter Lord led him to the cells.

Howard led him to the prison complex. Having named himself after Sequence 9 "Arbiter," this First Chapter Master bore a golden scales emblem on his right pauldron.

Along the way, Howard explained:

"Our Techmarines designed specialized shackles to restrain the Aeldars. They're made from psy-resistant alloys and infused with a compound that inhibits cellular activity."

Behind reinforced glass, six tall Aeldari sat maskless, pointed chins and elongated ears exposed.

Even in captivity, their posture and gesture exuded unsettling grace, that peculiar allure unique to their kind.

Nareth's pupils narrowed. His consciousness extended toward them.

Hisssss!

Before his awareness could even reach the crimson mental "gate," he heard a sound like a serpent's hiss.

At the same time, he sensed a black chain wrapped tightly around that gate, a psychic representation of the shackle's psi-dampening function.

He didn't remove the restraints or give the prisoners a chance. Instead, his eyes glimmered with black and white light as his psychic energy slipped through the gaps in the chain.

The Aeldar's innate sensitivity allowed them to instantly feel a black hand reaching toward them.

They turned sharply toward the glass.

Though it was one-way mirrored glass, their sharp eyes saw only a blur. What they did feel was an overwhelming presence, greater even than a Farseer.

A shadowy, endless ocean.

They understood instantly: a powerful psyker was invading their minds.

The six of them quickly employed their race's mental training techniques to raise psychic defenses.

But as Nareth forced his way through, the red gates in their minds thickened and swelled.

A strange gleam appeared in Nareth's eyes. His will turned into a black spear, and it pierced the red gate.

Invisible shockwaves rippled outward, blood trickled from the Aeldars ears and mouths.

At the same time, the Shadows of Order, inheriting the Primarch's heightened perception, sensed the invisible battle unfolding in the Sea of Souls and that Nareth had won.

His mind penetrated their consciousness.

The Aeldar soulscape was far more vivid and complex than a human's.

Their perception extended not only through sharpened senses but also into the realm of the psychic.

In all six minds, Nareth found the same vision, a Farseer wielding a strange staff, the top shaped like a triangle, with a horizontal bar in the middle and branching arms at the bottom like forked twigs.

His eyes were deep with knowledge as he spoke in Aeldar:

"The threads of fate have shifted. We must uncover the cause."

His tone was distant, almost otherworldly.

Nareth followed the memory further.

He saw the Aeldar arrive at a system, their expressions thoughtful and serious.

'So… Vigilus plays a key role in the Saim-Hann Farseer's prophecy. That's why they came here.'

Soon after, the six Aeldar were dispatched to investigate the Brenna System.

With no further insights, Nareth withdrew from their minds and said to Howard:

"Come to my office in 15 minutes."

Nareth went to the temporary office prepared for him by the Arbiter Lord and then entered the Kingdom of Disorder.

He first descended to the third layer.

There, the baby Jokaero had grown rapidly and was now the size of a fully matured member of its species.

As soon as Nareth approached, he could feel an esoteric bond between them, a mystical connection clear in his psychic perception.

He reached out and grasped the creature's shoulder, fingers brushing against the soft orange-red fur.

In the next instant, he blinked into the first layer.

He retrieved the ingredients for the "Interogator" potion, then sent the ape the formula, including ingredients, structure, and preparation.

"Brew this potion."

When he saw the space ape climb up to the cauldron with the materials, Nareth silently considered:

'Letting the Jokaeros brew potions is safe. Only the Old Ones could access the backdoors hidden in the fusion of genetics and psychic tech.'

'In Hrud mythology, the last of the Old Ones, known as Qah, fled the galaxy 500 millennia ago to an unobservable dimension. There, he continued creating new races using plastic, resin, and paint.'

'Even if he returned, he couldn't reach into the Kingdom of Disorder.'

Nareth had already decided, once a Jokaero entered the Kingdom of Disorder, it would never leave. No one would get a chance to tamper with them.

Moments later, Nareth retrieved the gelatinous "Interogator" potion, swirled in white and gold.

Returning to reality, Howard arrived shortly after and received the potion.

Knowing he was about to receive another blessing, Howard raised the vial and drank it down.

Electric light flashed across his eyes.

As the power settled within, the "Interogator" bowed and declared:

"I will make full use of your gift, and pry the secrets from the Aeldars."

"They came here because of Vigilus to the south of Brenna, as seen in their star charts. Find it, and take control of that world."

Nareth knew the Vigilus wasn't just resource-rich; it held a blackstone deposit, a key weapon in the fight against Chaos, and much more.

Including:

A fortress-grade STC energy shield that could protect an entire hive city.

The "Voidclaw," a doomsday relic from the Dark Age of Technology, hidden in the Citadel Vigilant.

And the Neo-Vellum, the planet's moon, an ore-rich satellite.

Even going to war with Saim-Hann would be worth it for this.

"Also, have the techmarine study the Aeldar jetbikes and upgrade our own."

Though the Imperium during the Great Crusade still possessed low-altitude anti-grav tech, it paled in comparison to the Eldar's.

Eldar bikes were sleek, elegant, and maneuverable even at high speed, sparking both admiration and jealousy among Imperial tech adepts.

Saim-Hann was especially known for their Windrider Jetbikes. Every Aeldar from their Craftworld was a rider, even the Farseers, who normally avoided such vehicles, were no exception.

After Howard left to carry out his orders, Nareth received a report from the Astropath.

They had just received a message from the Bucephalus, the Emperor's own flagship.

A direct order from the Emperor himself. 

.....

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

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