[center][h2][b][u]Meeting of the Primarchs of the Legio XVI and Legio VI[/u][/b][/h2][/center]

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Location: In orbit over the Industrial World of Yamvan-IV, Saravata, Ultima Segmentum

Date: 6.341.971.M30. - Culling of the Ipsunal Incursion into Saravata
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The very fabric of reality tore open, the prow of the first among many warships emerging from the Warp and into realspace at the fringes of the Akhiina system, in the Saravata subsector. As the fleet reorganized itself, Narcarro Salazar sat upon his command throne aboard the Gloriana-class battleship Prince Mesonera. The multitude of officers occupying the bridge were busy collecting reports from the entire fleet, and the Primarch nodded approvingly when the communications officer informed him that every ship was present and that no significant damage had been sustained during their long journey. He turned his bright blue eyes towards the holo-projection representing the Akhiina system.

"Send out a scouting squadron and establish contact with the local authorities." The auspex reading did not indicate anything out of the ordinary yet, but this was a warzone. "We do not want any overly-zealous artillery officer taking pot shots at the fleet."

"At once my Lord," the officer replied before transmitting Salazar's order. As soon as he was finished, Salazar opened a direct vox channel to the entire fleet.

"To all vessels, switch your IFF transponder on. Stay on alert level four until further notice." Ideally, he would have preferred for his fleet to remain hidden for longer, but he was in one of his sibling's domains, and he was not about to give unnecessary offense.

Cobra-class destroyers escorted by Sword-class frigates darted out of the massive fleet at full speed, leaving it behind as the faster ships headed further into the heart of the system. Even though it would take several days to reach the closest planet's orbit, it only took hours before one of the frigates received a vox communication request, and the information that a fleet had arrived in the system began its tortuous journey up the chain of command.

____________

Death. Death and agony surrounded her. It filled the air, overpowered the senses. Around her swirled a sea of suffering, millions of souls in mourning and in pain. To a lesser being, the sensory overload would have been crippling. Sharing in the pain, the fear, the grief, and the doubt of the countless souls that swirled around her was almost too much to bear. Yet bear it she did, bore it she had done before, and she would bear it again. The swirling mass of souls thronged around her as she walked. Fear, awe, adoration, and resent. She met the eyes of every soldier who stood before her, her gaze calm and steady as she listened to them in turn. 

The field hospitals and morgues of the battlefield were not an unfamiliar site. Though she had long been chastised by her kin for visiting the wounded and dying of the mortal auxilia that fought alongside the Legion, it was a ritual she would not be deterred from. They marched to their deaths under her orders, and though the deaths of millions seemed a numb statistic, here in the maelstrom of emotion she shared in every iota of sorrow. She walked amongst them not as a great Primarch of the Emperor, beyond them in every way - but as a human. She towered not over the soldiers, wore no gleaming masterwork armor, and she met the eyes of all who came to her.

Voices rose as she walked, and so too did she speak. Condolences, praise for battlefield glories, assurances of promotion, all filed away within the cogitators that hummed quietly within her armor. It was a familiar routine, and one that weighed heavily upon her spirit. It renewed her distaste for those of her kin who glorified the horrors of war, who revelled in the violence and bloodshed of the crusade. It was a cruel necessity, this struggle of theirs, one that she sought to end as soon as could be.

But at times, there were those stood out amongst the crowd, whose questions brought no easy answer. There were those who simply remained silent, watching her from a distance, judging, resentful. It was those who she tried to speak with the most, those who had no gloating or praise, no fawning adoration for the being that walked amongst them. 

One stood before her now. A young woman, her eyes bright blue, nary a hint of technological augmetic or of years of campaigning, yet she stared at the Primarch with those same tired eyes. Her soul burned bright amidst the throng of humanity that surrounded her.

“Did they matter?” She asked, blocking Eiohsa’s way. “Did their deaths matter?”

Data flashed through her augmetic ports, relayed from the battle logs. Trooper Konstantia Obel, sole survivor of her platoon, wiped out during a diversionary assault that cleared the way for the Third Battlegroup to shatter the vanguard of the forces of the xenos invaders. Casualties had been unexpectedly high amongst the force, and it was only afterwards that the information was relayed to her that the battalion had completed basic conscript training only a day before. Inexperienced, unprepared recruits thrown into the meat grinder to clear the way for her Astartes forces. It was a story that repeated itself time and time again across the galaxy, a story she herself had penned far, far too many times to count. 

Eiohsa wanted to lie. It would have been easy to tell the woman that their deaths had played a key role in securing victory and defending the world. It would have been kinder, in a sense. But she could not. “My orders to your unit were to conduct a diversionary operation, that the forces of the Legion proper could more effectively strike the enemy down. I will not lie to you. Many deaths in your unit were needless, and the burden falls upon my shoulders for ordering your comrades into a maneuver you were not fully prepared for. You have my apologies, Trooper Obel… Konstantia. You have my apologies. I can offer only my assurances that their deaths will not be in vain. I do not ask your forgiveness, nor do I deserve it.” 

The woman’s expression did not change, nor did she move from her place. “Are we expendable, Primarch?” She asked, and only now did Eiohsa see the trembling in her body. “Tell me, in the eyes of the Imperium, are we expendable?”

Her words would have brought tears to the eyes of the Primarch had she heard them years ago. But the grief, the sorrow, the pain, and the anger of a million battles across a thousand star systems had hardened her heart and inured her soul. Even so, she could not help but be moved. She rested an armored hand on the shoulder of the woman, “Not to me.”

She began walking once more, her hand remaining on the Trooper’s shoulder. “Please, come, I wish to speak with you further after I meet my brother.”
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The massive fleet of the sixth Legion was standing by in the planet's orbit, void shields lowered and weapons powered down. Hundreds of warships, bulk freighters, Imperial Army elements as well as a Mechanicum flotilla which carried with them a Titan battlegroup; all of them were dwarfed by the Solar Dragons' flagship, aboard which the preparations for the meeting were complete. One of the Gloriana-class battleship's hangar decks had been cleared and decorated with the banners of the thirteen Great Companies that had accompanied their Primarch to Saravata. Below these colorful standards hanging from the deck's ceiling, a guard of honor had been assembled; the Primarch's bodyguard, power spear in hand and bolt pistol on their hip, with the spotless red and white of their armor bringing out the shining gold trims, decorations and face plate, faced an equal number of Merendosi Raiders, the Legion's mortal auxiliaries. In contrast to the Astartes, they wore a dark urban camouflage pattern on their Carapace armor and Kalibrax Pattern lasrifle.

At the end of the guard of honor stood the Primarch himself, wearing white pants and tunic, adorned with red and gold embroideries. A red cape was kept in place by a golden aquila pin on his chest. A group of officers stood behind him, holding their helmets in one hand. To Salazar's right was a warrior holding the Primarch's personal banner, representing a dragon breathing fire on a xenos of a now extinct species. To his left stood another holding a two-handed sword in his hands, and a human officer whose face was battered by scars and the signs of rejuvenating treatments.

All things considered, it was a rather sober welcoming party considering the expected guest was Eiohsa izva Bronakavh, Salazar's own sister. Another of his siblings might have been welcomed by an entire parade, but even though Salazar had only briefly met with his sister before, he guessed that she was not the sort to be overly fond of such ostensible protocol and honors. Still, it would not hurt to pay some measure of respect to Eiohsa's status, at least for this first proper meeting.

A signal sounded on the deck, notifying that a shuttle had docked in the airlock. As soon as the airtight door opened to let the guests in, the Astartes next to Salazar struck the metallic floor with the shaft of the banner he held. A second later, the guard of honor stood to attention, the sound of their boots striking the deck resonating in the hangar.

“Salazar, my brother.” Came the voice of the Primarch Eiohsa. “Surely there was no need to go through this much trouble when there are more pressing matters at hand?” She strode through the airlock, an eyebrow raised quizzically. As she drew nearer the Astartes of the Sixth Legion, she raised a hand in a crisp salute to the assembled Astartes, and then to her Brother Primarch. 

“It is good to see another friendly face in my home, it has been too long waiting for our first proper meeting. I merely regret that it is not under better circumstances. The forces of these xenos are beyond any peaceful reconciliation. They fight with fanaticism almost commendable in its intensity. Shouting glory for their Great Leader.” She shook her head, her voice lowering. “It reminds of some of the worse elements of our own Imperium.”

An amused smile appeared on Salazar's lips, blue eyes scrutinizing her as they always did. He gave a nod towards his sister before his rich voice replied.

"I thank you for your welcome, my sister. I am grateful for having had the foresight to keep this meeting a secret; I’m afraid even my Astartes could not keep the Remembrancers out of the deck if they learned there was an opportunity to observe two of the Emperor's own children in the same place." He shifted his jovial tone to be more serious. "Especially considering your apparent... Enthusiasm for potentially inflammatory statements."

The smile came back, a bit warmer this time.

"Nevertheless, I am glad to see you again under less dire circumstances. You are right, we have much to discuss. But where are my manners?" He gestured to his right. "This is Ancient Sorrano. My right hand man, if you will. Whatever matter needs to be brought up to me, he will be qualified to hear it." He pointed to his left. "Nocanus Villion, my Equerry." The Terran Astartes bowed his head respectfully, his lighter skin tone and short black hair contrasting with most of the present officers. "And Lord Commander Asier Costales, commander-in-chief of the Merendosi Raiders. His skills have served me well for more than a hundred years now."

"And will continue to do so for hundreds more." The officer added, saluting as he looked up at the armored figure of his leader's sister.

Eiohsa smiled back in turn. “Our kin are well aware of my ‘enthusiasm’, it is only the Emperor who holds the power to punish me for hurting feelings, and I have my suspicions he and I concur on far more than one might think. It is good, though, to meet you and your Legion properly. The wars against the Rangdan certainly did not provide many opportunities for building relationships and comradeship.” 

She turned to Salazar’s officers, bringing her hand up in the same military salute to each of them. “A pleasure to make your acquaintances, soldiers. It is good to meet more skilled and dutiful servants of our Imperium.”

A slight frown came over her, and she coughed into one hand. “I apologize for my own lack of entourage. This is one of my aides, Rhena.” She said, gesturing to the woman in question. “And this is a soldier of my armies, I hope you do not mind that she accompanied me?”

The Primarch turned his gaze towards the simple soldier, studying her for an uncomfortable amount of time, as if he'd found her particularly interesting... or suspicious. His even tone confirmed neither as he finally answered. "I do not." He paused. "I bid the three of you welcome aboard my ship. Now, let us go and discuss serious matters in a more appropriate environment. My command room, that is. Besides, my captains have duties to attend to." He turned towards the officers. "Dismissed, gentlemen."

Astartes and mortals brought their fists to their chest as a warrior's salute, before walking away and leaving the hangar, only Villion remaining by his side. Salazar gestured an invitation for his sister to follow him. "This way, if you please."

She nodded, in turn giving a crisp salute to the assembled personnel of her Brother’s Legion. Beckoning her small entourage follow, she took up a steady walk behind her Brother. “It is a surprise to see you here in Saravata, my brother. I presume you have something on your mind? Or perhaps you have come to aid us in our little war against these invaders? I promise you, it is a short affair. Were I less considerate of the state of the worlds after the fact, the problem would already be solved.” 

Information flashed through data conduits to her consciousness as she trawled through every record available on her flagship on the Primarch of the VI Legion. Even blueprints of the most commonly used naval vessels, all flashed through her mind at a dizzying, inhuman speed. “Or did you perhaps come to meet properly?”

“Indeed!”, he exclaimed. “I would not pass up the occasion to get to know you a little better, especially since our two Legions have been collaborating closely in the past. There was little time for pleasantries then. But this is not the only reason for my presence; I would not have brought fully half of my legion with me if it was, not to mention regiments and ships of the Army.”

The small group briefly halted before a massive ornate door at the end of the corridor as it opened with a faint hiss. The room behind it, if that term could be applied to a space of such proportions, was a massive hall of marvelous gothic architecture, both cyclopean and delicately detailed. White and red banners adorned with a golden dragon decorated the walls, and between each of them were comparatively small alcoves, aligned and stacking up to the ceiling. A number of these alcoves were occupied by a marble statue of an Astartes warrior in armor, made larger than life and with rigorous attention to detail. A few others represented mortals, their uniforms leaving no doubt that they were of the Sixth Legion’s integrated auxiliaries.

Bronze plaques at every statue’s feet were engraved with a name, a date and the manner of their deaths. These marble sculptures were, upon closer inspection, sarcophagi. Along the walls were arranged hundreds of art pieces, pictures, paintings, sculptures, as well as war trophies and relics: a tattered flag, pieces of a broken sword, an alien armor bearing the unmistakable impacts of boltgun fire. Of the alcoves carved into the walls only a fraction were occupied, yet the statues easily numbered in the hundreds.

“Welcome to the Hall of Heroes, sister. I certainly hope to see you join our celebrations here when this war is over.” Salazar said, as he made his way down the hall at Eiohsa’s side.

“The war is progressing swiftly enough, my brother. Were I heedless for the harm and suffering of my people, it would progress further still. Certainly, the likes of Sarghaul would have seen this war concluded several percentage points more swiftly, but at the cost of great tolls in civilian death and significant destruction to the infrastructure and industrial capacity of the affected worlds.” She frowned, “I am uncertain what aid you may be capable of rendering, we have already received a detachment of the Lantern Bearers in support along with our brother Iniephor himself. I am well aware of your Legion’s abilities in scouting and infiltration, but as these foes are not human, nor even humanoid, I foresee great difficulty in attempting many of the tactics our logs indicate you favor.” Records of past battles and campaigns by the Solar Dragons Legion now filled her mind, processed and replaced by another near instantaneously. “I will nevertheless not deny any assistance you might render.”

A small smile creased her face again, “I am glad, though, to hear that your Legion too celebrates your victories and commemorates the dead.” More information processed in her mind, the light whine of capacitors and electronics a constant presence. “I admit, the practice of preserving the dead in ornate caskets is a strange one to us, but it is heartening to behold the passion and art which your own produce. A cultural exchange may be in order after we defeat these vile spawn.”

Salazar had an unreadable expression on his face. “You underestimate us, dear sister. I cannot say I blame you. We have our ways” He displayed no emotions as he led the group through the hall and to an elevator which closed its doors and started moving upwards as soon as they entered.

“Be assured that I have no doubt in your ability to lead this war to a successful end. Your dedication to the preservation of the Imperium’s domain and infrastructure is… admirable. But your daughters are needed on other fronts.” The Primarch’s voice grew quieter, almost a murmur. “The Ork empire of Ullanor is shattered. Victory is assured. And yet, thousands of our father’s loyal soldiers are still dying fighting the greenskins. They refuse defeat, as they always do.” Salazar’s voice was a growl, as contained hatred and disgust for the xenos echoed in his words. Inside the elevator, an imperceptible change of emotions started to seep into the minds of those in the presence of the sixth Legion’s Primarch, like poisoned vapors. A sense of inexplicable anguish, an irrational fear of something terrible about to happen. Doom. Death. Pain. Oblivion. All of those terrors gradually fading, to let only a greater fear take their place. The fear of fear itself.

The Primarch’s Equerry stepped up to his side. The effects of Salazar’s powers were visible even on his stoic face. “My lord,” he called out. “You are forgetting yourself.”

Narcarro Salazar turned his eyes to his son and blinked. The sense of dread in the elevator disappeared as quickly as it came. “You are right, Nocanus.” He took a deep breath and turned towards his guests. “My apologies. I got… lost in thought, I’m afraid.”

Eiohsa raised an eyebrow quizzically in response. She seemed lost in thought as she watched him, silent and unmoving. At last, as the silence stretched on into uncomfortable lengths, she broke it. 

“Fascinating…” she murmured, staring at him with a scientist’s eye. “Your presence in the immaterium, your… soul, it changed. Quite significantly.” A finger stretched out haphazardly, as she cycled through databanks of stored information she had amassed on warp phenomena, including the recently indexed contents of Iniephor’s personal treatise on the ‘Great Sea’. “It was almost as if… a part of yourself took control. It crowded out all else.” She nodded towards his equerry, “It is a most powerful effect, evidently.”

She turned to her own entourage, “I trust you two are well, yes?”

A short nod from each brought a small smile to her lips. “Fear not, even if he did pose a threat I do not believe we would have been in any danger. I know your Equerry would have defended us all most valiantly and effectively, my brother.”

Salazar smirked. "Yes, I believe so. I am sorry for the inconvenience, this should not happen outside of the battlefield. I suppose I am frustrated enough that a fraction of my powers manifested. Lack of discipline."

Nocanus Villion nodded. "We are all frustrated, my lord. It has been a long journey, and our brothers are fighting glorious battles against the Great Enemy as we speak. The men are eager to get back to work."

"I am sure they are. We will have occasions to fight the enemies of Mankind soon enough." The elevator slowed down and soon came to a halt as the doors opened on a room that was rather sober and functional, compared to the rest of the ship. A large table with an integrated holo-display stood in the middle of it, surrounded by chairs which were large enough for a Primarch to sit comfortably. A number of them had their height set for mortals, others for Astartes, and at both ends of the table two were set for Primarchs. The only decoration in the command room was a steel imperial Aquila on one of the walls.

"Please, have a seat." Salazar said as he stepped inside, while his Equerry poured wine into simple glasses out of a crystal pitcher for each of the three guests, as well as for his Primarch and himself. The fragile recipients seemed almost absurd as he manipulated them with his massive armored gauntlets.

Eiohsa took the glass, eyeing it and its bottle with an eye for detail. “Aged vintage, I see?” She raised the glass, nodding her thanks to his equerry. “I appreciate it, brother.” Her form shrank and shifted as she seated herself in one of the chairs, wine held carefully in one hand as she felt the material of the chair. “I hope you do not mind if I drop the formal appearance. It can be rather a chore to maintain airs.” 

Serene, inhuman beauty melted away into the face and expression of an ordinary woman as she sipped at the wine, allowing herself a contented sigh. Enormous size and power seemed to vanish into thin air as her form ceased to tower over her brother and mortal companions. “You know, I must admit such is not common where I come from. We have but a few worlds that can still produce such a product, and it is not fair to demand it be shipped to Kayaamat for my personal tastes. Your homeworld must be proud to produce such.” She smiled, turning to her companions. “I am glad you two enjoy it as well.” 

Trooper Obel’s eyes were wide at the sights around her, and her amazement and wonder translated to her commander, who gave a reassuring smile. She had before never tasted wine nor had she left her hab-block before being called to war, yet now held a glass of the finest vintage and sat amidst the children of the Emperor himself. She remained wordless, merely staring in awe. 

“So, my brother.” Eiohsa murmured, eyes darting over to him, “I have many questions, but I am sure you must as well. It has been long since we met, and we have yet to meet under peaceful times. Where shall we begin?”

The Primarch smiled as Villion inserted a data slate into a port in the table. "Do not worry about formalities, dear sister. They have no place in this room."

Salazar pressed an activation rune on the table and a holographic map of the sector appeared in the air. Ongoing engagements were highlighted, as well as the current location of imperial forces as well as suspected and confirmed enemy activity. “I have brought with me Army line formations as reinforcements for your forces. Princeps Majoris Hordim of Legio Exitium is also waiting for deployment.  If there is a need to break a deadlock, her Titans should be able to deal with most of the enemy forces in their path.” The holo-display showed a list of fifteen Princeps as well as their service records.

The Equerry spoke up. "This is Battlegroup Hordim. Two Warlords, three Reavers, nine Warhounds and Hordim's own Titan, a Warbringer Nemesis. Additionally, they've already been assigned escort elements from the Imperial Army. Super-heavies, motorized infantry, triple-A batteries and so on, ready to split up into support groups as needed. There are also Raider strike teams available for use as forward observers, recon teams or emergency reserves."

"Most of my warriors, however, will not be fighting alongside you. My Astartes, the rest of the Raiders and myself will be going into enemy territory and aim for the heart." Salazar pointed at the map, circling an area of space with his finger. "But to strike at the enemy's heart, one must know where it is. Our reports do not indicate the location of the enemy capital, or what serves this purpose to them. Would yours be more up to date, perchance?" He said, turning his gaze back to his guests.

“There is no true deadlock that would require the assistance of Titans to break, brother.” Said Eiohsa, her eye flickering over the data before her. “All warzones are progressing solidly in our favor. The invading horde has a remaining presence upon only a half dozen or so worlds further within my realm, and if my calculations are correct they hold a further fifty seven beyond the official reaches of Imperial controlled space, approximately twenty four of which could be considered developed worlds. Once they have been cleansed from the Imperium the campaign will move much more swiftly. When my own are not in the firing line these beasts will taste the full wrath of the XVI Legion.”

She turned to him. “What I believe your Legion can best offer us lies in your infiltrators. You know of the depth of ability of Saravatian cybernetic technology, yes?” She smiled, “The xenos do not know it yet but we have deciphered their language and extracted many cultural norms - enough such that we believe in short time, skilled operatives could be implanted with this knowledge and deployed on sabotage missions within the upper echelons of the enemy high command. They lack a decentralized command structure, and neutralizing the key enemy figures we have determined are central to their defense will, according to our calculations, accelerate the expulsion of their presence from the system from another two standard Terran months to approximately twenty three days.”

A datapad with the relevant information appeared seemingly as if from nowhere, the Primarch handing it to her brother with an easy expression. “Once they have been expelled, with my people no longer in the line of fire we estimate their total annihilation to follow within approximately one hundred and seven days. Detachments of the Legion and the Sector Defense Force will be deployed to each world, and the largest will accompany myself and my Guard to their homeworld where we estimate victory within forty two days of arrival.”

She smiled darkly, “Iniephor will have plenty to catalogue soon enough.”

Salazar processed the information as she spoke. Glancing back at the holomap, he waved his hand dismissively. “Hordim and her Titans will be free to deploy according to their desire, then. She’s neither hot-headed nor reckless, but the God-engines thirst for battle, so she says. It shouldn’t be an issue to let them hunt. Legio Exitium is not the kind to blindly fire into civilian population centers.”

“As for your suggestion at infiltration, we certainly can make use of the intel you’ve gathered. Some of my most specialized operators would surely be able to sabotage the enemy’s chain of command.” He turned to the Astartes to his side. “When this meeting is over, have Zancador take half of his Drakes and conduct a few raids. We will need fresh material.”

“As you say, my lord.” The Terran gave a curt nod.

“I trust that your forces will be more than capable of exterminating the xenos. We will attempt to make it easier our own way.” He looked at his sister, resting his elbows on the table. “No matter how fanatical they are, they will not keep their composure after their homeworld goes up in flames, with their so-called Great Leader impaled atop the ruins. They will lose heart and break, or lash out in anger. Either way, an easier prey to hunt down, and if they are as centralized as you claim they are, it will also greatly disrupt their supply lines.”

“I expect these Titan legions will answer to the command authority of my or your Legion, correct?” Came the reply, “I do not want the Mechanicum’s ‘god engines’ running amok amongst my worlds and my people, you understand. The world of Furinyaz-III is my recommendation. It was amongst the first taken in the incursion, and the invaders have dug into our own fortifications in the region outside of its primary starport. Progress has been somewhat slow, as… my own creations work against me, it seems.” She smiled a thin, grim smile. “I suppose it is firsthand evidence, at least, that my defenses are as effective as I had hoped. Order the Titans to spearhead a new assault on these defenses - I would prefer the starport remain intact, but the arrival of Titan grade ordnance should accelerate the defeat of their defensive formations in the region by approximately 57%.” 

She remained silent for a moment, thinking, before she spoke, her tone shifting to one radically different than the previous analytical and numerically focused ones. “Tell me, brother, of your homeworld.”

Without pause for his response she continued. “Many of our kin think me a fool - or a traitor, even, for my devotion to my people. The likes of our ‘brother’ Sarghaul and his Abyssal Lurkers or Veritas Res and his Truthlayers, they leave worlds devastated in their wake. None of them pay heed to the future, to the need for our Imperium to be prosperous [i]after[/i] war. War is all they know. War is all they believe in. Tell me, brother, I know the basics of your upbringing, I can read reports of your world - but would you fight for them? Would you stand against your kin to protect them, or those from another world? Do you believe, like I, that we fight for the people of the Imperium and to sacrifice their lives and wellbeing for a faster resolution to a war is the true treachery?”

Salazar said nothing for a few seconds, before a smile crept up his face, ice-cold blue eyes watching with sincere interest. "One thing at a time, dear sister. I shall tell you about my home. And then, I will answer your many questions."