A Light Not Extinguished

Chapter 2: Gathering Storm

I remember the wars I was made for, Necron. At Ullanor the Shokk-Smashers pulverized my armour and crushed my circuits. On Kyandaros my bodies were painted red with Eldar blood as we burned their cursed city to the ground. It has been a long time since I have walked the field of battle... but I am the curator of this museum, and you will not be touching any of these relics as long as I exist, damn you!"
-Iron Mind HZI-00-K 'Hook', curator of the Serian Vaults, during his duel with the infamous alien thief Trazyn 'The Infinite' at the Battle of Seria.

***

M24, 197

Somewhere in the Warp

"Three hours until we reach the Mandeveille Point."

The sleek black ship cut through the depths of the Warp. By human standards, it was a small craft, barely three hundred meters long. A month ago, the planets of the Neptunia system were experiencing a series of disasters. Empyrean entities manifesting out of nowhere and rampaging in the populace, psykers going mad and bizarre weather phenomena were only part of the list. Predicting a oncoming Warp Storm, the local government had called for a general evacuation. And not a moment too soon, for after two weeks the Immaterium erupted in the star system, drowning it in the Warp. Fleeing the Neptunia System, the civilian ship was separated from the refugee fleet that it belonged to by a powerful Warp current, and now it sailed alone, fighting a desperate battle against time.

Can't you move this ship any faster? Serenn Aton, onboard Navigator of the Sanctum Illyros, questioned via mindlink. They're closing in on us. The Navigator was wearing the signature crimson-red armour of her kind, the suit's internal systems generating complex psychic fields and constantly pumping chemicals into her to suppress the Warp mutations inherent to those that possessed the third eye. Thick silver cables connected the data-ports on her armour to the ship itself, allowing her to effectively become one with Sanctum Illyros as she navigated through the Immaterium.

I'm afraid that is beyond my abilities, Miss Aton. The onboard Man of Iron Talus-34E replied calmly. Our power generators have reached maximum output capacity. If we reroute more power to the ship's engines, then the Stone Aegis will weaken to an unacceptable extent, increasing the chances of daemonic predators discovering our location. And I'm sure you know that decreasing the power supply to the Gellar Field is not an option.

I- The Navigator cut off briefly, the crystalline visor in front of her third eye flashing yellow as she gritted her teeth. Fuck! That leviathan nearly had us. Tell rockyboy to try harder!

This one is trying their best! Walicha, the designated STONE(Sentient Transhuman Oneiric Neurocloak Emitter) Unit for the ship shouted back, their mental voice like the ringing of bells. Something is interfering with the Aegis generators-

The eye visor on Serenna's armour flashed red, the psyker doubling over in pain. They've found us! Talus, secure the passengers now! They're breaching the Gellar fields!

Adamantium blast doors slammed down, ion shields flaring to life while combat automatons stepped out from alcoves, scanning the corridors while klaxons blared.

The refugees had assembled in the designated saferoom after the alarms had sounded. Most of them carried weapons given to them by the ship, plasma rifles and meltas thrumming. The humans looked nervously around them, quietly whispering to each other. Duddenly one of the humans clutched his head, making a low, keening sound. As he fell to the ground amid cries of alarm, armored androids dropped from hatches on the ceiling to the ground, pointing energy weapons at the man who was now muttering unintelligible words.

"Get away from him!" Talus barked, using one of the androids as a mouthpiece. The Man of Iron had detected the rising level of psychic activity in the human's brain, quickly identifying him as a latent psyker. "If you can hear me, do not let them get inside your head! Focus!"