Chapter 152: Chapter 143: Shake It Off
At first, they assumed this was some undiscovered native species.
Dense swarms of bugs emerged from the fissure, aimlessly surging onto the barrens.
The first servo-skull to encounter them didn't even manage to emit a brief alarm before it silently dissolved into a pile of metal-rich mud containing iron and carbon.
"It appears we have chanced upon some native organisms."
Tech-Priest 78 remarked. Such occurrences were common - these were likely some subterranean species native to this region.
Skitarii rangers from the nearby outpost came marching out, arcs of electricity crackling along their rifles.
"Steel is strong, spirit is steel!"
Gryaia's rangers bellowed their war chant as a hail of bullets descended, the swarms starting to disperse with visibly fewer numbers.
"Something's off."
Moraug muttered with a frown.
"Prepare to retreat."
He instructed the Death Guards behind him. The observation deck they currently occupied was a temporary shoddy construct placed right at the forefront.
"Tech-priest, something is amiss here."
Moraug stepped forward to point out to the tech-priest:
"They are-"
Before Moraug could finish speaking, several Canoptek Scarabs erupted from underground amidst the Skitarii ranks, buzzing straight towards the nearest ranger!
In an instant, the rangers were tangled in fierce melee with the mass of scarabs, but the number of rangers swarmed by bugs was clearly dwindling.
Tech-Priest 78's signaling device flashed.
Firelight abruptly flared as barrage after barrage of cannon fire came screaming from the distance, tearing through the heavens to land with precision on the unfolding battlefield!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The smoke cleared to reveal utter devastation on the ground.
Another squad of rangers came sprinting out from the base, bellowing "Steel is strong, spirit is steel!" as they strode over their fallen brethren to methodically clear out the surviving bugs.
"Very good."
Tech-Priest 78 said distractedly without even lifting his head, resuming his task of deploying the mining machines needed next.
Moraug frowned. His many years of combat experience told him this wouldn't be the end of things.
A bolt of virulent green lightning that flashed from the crevice proved his guess right.
The savage emerald lightning speared directly into one of the Skitarii, the bright flash shrieking as it outlined the ranger's deep red frame. His body seemed to disintegrate as if shredded apart.
Tech-Priest 78's head jerked up sharply as he stared fixedly at the unfolding situation on the battlefield.
This was no natural organism that could have evolved such a thing. And the reports coming in from his Skitarii now also indicated those scarabs had been metallic!
"Thud thud."
The sound of metal footsteps rang out.
From the crevice's shadows emerged a figure of ashen gray - a skeleton whose entire body was covered in circular and straight lines of glowing green, glints of lustre flashing through the rust and mud caking its frame.
The gaunt face was stiff and lifeless.
Grasped in its hand was an elongated cylindrical ranged weapon, noxious emerald energy writhing violently within.
Perhaps the only one present able to grasp what this metal body signified was Tech-Priest 78 of the Cult Mechanicus.
Those Barbarian brutes wouldn't understand what this was.
78 unconsciously opened then shut his mouth.
[Alpha-priority alert. Mine 03. ]
[Repeat. Alpha-priority alert for Mine 03.]
[Contact the Tech-Priests of the Forge World.]
More metal skeletons were materializing from the shadows, identical but for the rust and dirt clinging to them.
The dead emerged from their tombs, mechanically taking up arms to defend their lord.
Another round of cannon fire streaked across the horizon as 78 called for fire support once more.
Even though the metallic bodies of the enemy intrigued the Tech-Priest greatly, their combat prowess clearly wasn't too formidable.
It seemed unnecessary to request reinforcements. 78 hesitated, wondering if he should retract the alert he just triggered. But ultimately he did not rescind it.
And that single decision saved their lives.
Deep underground, at the heart of the vast mega-necropolis, ignition slowly began. Resurrection protocols revived legions of undead warriors.
These were troops recently "felled" in clashes with the Skitarii.
Having undergone resurrection protocols, their remaining vestiges of cognition were returned to them before they "revived".
But not every fallen soldier managed to rise again. In their eons of slumber, bit by bit, deviations had accumulated and systems failed, nothing too severe, yet no longer flawlessly precise.
The tomb complex's consciousness was evaluating.
Realizing its existing forces were inadequate to repel the incursion, more units were roused from their sleep as resurrection protocols were passed.
Hades sat at his desk, tallying up the total quotas of supplies Barbarus provided to the Death Guard.
An emergency transmission from Moraug interrupted his calculations.
What was going on?
Hades grumbled. He had been so close to finishing. Getting disrupted left a bad taste.
Most likely some spat with the local Tech-Priests over machine oil again. Or they were clashing over something petty?
Then he began reading the brief message—
A skeletal figure of ashen gray emerged...
Holy f**k! The undead!
Hades was so startled he nearly shuddered.
You were only supposed to mine some blacksone! How did you dig up the Necrons instead?!
The Necrons could be considered one of the hegemons of the Milky Way.
Their origins could be traced to the most ancient eras, when the galaxy was still rather peaceful.
They weren't called Necrons then, nor did they possess their current forms. Known as the "Necrontyr", they had flesh and blood bodies then, not metallic ones.
The Necrontyr developed expansive and intricate material sciences. Their civilization flourished as it spread through the galaxy.
But the lifespans of individual Necrontyr were extremely brief. Such fleeting lives of the individual were tragic when placed before the thriving progression of their race.
Necrontyr society didn't advance as swiftly as their sciences either. They had clear class divides, with dynastic intrigue and infighting never ceasing at the pyramid's pinnacle.
To divert internal tensions, and also out of envy, the Necrontyr brought the flames of war onto the reigning hegemons of the galaxy back then —
The Old Ones.
Thus began the War in Heaven, its blazes raging as the Milky Way trembled. Even that previously enormous galaxy was but a tiny pebble in this titanic conflict, with uncountable resources poured into the grand stellar war.
The ending proved disastrous for the Necrontyr. They were simply no match for the Old Ones. Out of desperation, the Silent King who ruled the Necrontyr then was deceived by the C'tan's tricks into converting his entire race into the more mighty and undying metallic forms — the Necrons.
However, having shed mortality, the soulless Necrons were also forsaken by life itself. As a species they stagnated, no more deaths yet also no new births. Their minds were now just predetermined routines, souls long since swallowed by the C'tan.
Realizing the C'tans' deceptions, the transcendent Necrons then tore apart and imprisoned the Star Gods, wielding their usurped might against the Old Ones now.
When the tremors across the stars gradually stilled and the fog of war slowly thinned...
Both sides of that bitterly cataclysmic conflict engulfing the galaxy and churning the Warp had vanished.
The Old Ones disappeared. And the Necrontyr became the Necrons.
Disheartened by the stagnation of their race, unable to continue their lineage, the Necrons established tomb-complexes to slumber in across planets, their entire civilization choosing to sleep in hopes of awakening in an era emptied of other races, where Necrontyr dominance could begin anew.
In short, a super awesome and OP race that was still hibernating, which those Tech-Priests Hades was collaborating with had now gone and blown awake with explosions.
Generally, dormant Necron tombs won't react to human activity and are more likely roused by a planet's geological shifts.
So just how many explosives did those Mechanicus guys bury?!
Hades despaired.
During the Great Crusade of 30k, the Imperium encountered a couple small Necron dynasties which the Legions exterminated like any Xenos. It didn't cause too huge a stir.
So currently, most Imperial institutions held little impression of the Necrons.
But Hades did.
The corner of Hades' eye twitched. He hoped this awakened tomb world belonged to a minor dynasty, and not all of them had revived fully.
Best case would be a bunch of Necrons whose programming glitched out after their long sleep.
If that was the case, Hades pondered, then the Death Guard and Mechanicus forces here should suffice.
But if this was a powerful dynasty, then retreat or call in the Emperor directly!
Actually, Exterminatus was the best solution against Necrons.
But given the planet's ownership rights belonged to Forge World Gryaia, Hades wasn't sure if those Tech-Priests would be willing to give up such a resource-rich world...
Hades hesitated in thought. Right now, what he received was a personal transmission from Moraug. Gryaia hadn't submitted any requests for aid to the Death Guard yet.
But if this was a minor dynasty... relying solely on Mechanicus garrisons in that region seemed a bit risky.
Gryaia would likely seek assistance from the Death Guard afterwards, since the Death Guard's Barbaran legions were the only nearby forces.
Hades paused.
He pulled up the marked stellar maps with Webway routes, and began drafting orders for the Galaspar legions to return after leaving the necessary troops behind.
He directly cited resupply issues as the reason. Mortarion would approve.
At the same time, Hades altered Moraug's mission - the top priority for that Death Guard squad was now reconnoitering the scope of foes from Tomb World 106.
Better safe than sorry.
And indeed, before the Galaspar fleet could even travel halfway back, the Adeptus Mechanicus' distress calls came in, beseeching the Death Guard for aid.
War stirred awake.
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