Chapter 2

"Warp engines priming! Gellar field calibrating!" Dominicus nodded as a wound, in reality, appeared once more. "S-sir? The warp..." The man trailed off as if he something unfathomable occurred before his eyes. "Speak." Dominicus rumbled as the man hesitatingly replied.

"T-the warp is calm sir. T-there are no storms or turbulence according to the scans. This... this is impossible." Dominicus stiffened as he slowly turned to the paling navigator on top of her throne. Skyla's eyes were already on Dominicus as it confirmed their worst fears.

"Can you guide the ship navigator?" Dominicus asked as Skyla broke her gaze. "T-the astronomicon is gone. I-I can't possibly guide us w-without the light." Skyla muttered as those who heard her paled. "B-but you must at least try navigator!"

Skyla flinched as she grabbed her robes closer. Why can't you understand! Skyla wanted to scream as she glared at the floor. I can't see him! I can't see his light! How could you all understand?! He is gone! The emperor is gone!

Tears begin to burn her eyes as she gritted her teeth tightly. I can't see it! Why can I not see it!  Did he truly abandoned us all? Why? Why?? Why??? The navigator's distress was so twisted by the expectation and burden placed on her that she did not realize that Dominicus was slowly walking up towards her. Only when he grabbed her shoulders did she snap out from her delusion.

Skyla flinched as a giant's hand landed on her shoulder. The cold metal was a stark contrast to his words when Dominicus kneeled at her eyed level. His sapphire eyes speaks of benevolence and compassion but also conveyed of desperation as he whispered.

"There are colonies out there being attacked. Being defiled and slaughtered by the wretched xenos." Dominicus's grip tightened slightly, but the tone of anger and heartbreak lingers in his voice. "You have to try navigator Skyla. You are the only one who could guide us through.

Your brothers and sisters are still recovering. No one could guide us but you. Please, lend us your strength navigator so we may aid those who need us." Dominicus stared directly at the navigator's eyes. A tear escaped from Skyla's eyes.

A beautiful angel lowered himself to her level. He spoke in desperation, telling someone like her that he needed her strength to save the others. To save humans. Who was she to deny such a display of compassion and love? .... Oh Emperor...  please, guide me...

"I-I'll try. I-I can lead two maybe three b-but I can't guarantee it." Skyla answered as Dominicus smiled. Oh... what a beautiful smile. Skyla thought as Dominicus whispered. "Thank you. That is all I asked." Dominicus turned back to the bridge as he called for Alvar and Hyperion.

Two bright holo images flared up as Dominicus relayed the news. "Navigator Skyla agreed to try. She will guide two or three of our vessels." Alvar frowned as the custode did not react. "What of the civilians? We can't just leave them unprotected." Alvar said as Dominicus nodded.

"I've arranged a small contingent of my brothers to remain. We would also leave our battleships and only send our battle barge alongside yours captain Alvar and custodian Hyperion." Alvar paused before nodding silently. "And if we cannot reach the main fleet after the jump?"

Dominicus stiffened when the custode spoke. Even through the distant channels, the presence of the custodian still permeates the air. "We can only hope it would never happen custodian Hyperion." The custode did not respond.

His crimson visor simply stared off in the distance as if he is weighing in the burden of his words through an invisible scale. "...If it troubles you so venerable Hyperion, then I can take point and relay whether the jump is successful or not." Dominicus said as he felt his time running out.

With each second he wastes debating and convincing the others was simply another second for the xenos to invade. Dominicus could not allow such a thing to happen any longer as he nodded for the navigator to move.

The battle barge, Imperatoris Vindicta, stationed itself before the gaping maw as the rest of the fleet watched in silence. "We will prevail! May the emperor watches us all!" Dominicus relayed one last message to the fleet before jumping in. "Warp engines online! Gellar field holding!" The men across the bridge yelled as the battle barge entered the immaterium once more.

"Emperor, preserve us." Dominicus whispered as the stars vanished. Dominic's reflexively prepared his mind for the incoming barrage once more. The damning screams of the neverborn always hunted his mind... except there was none. Everyone on the bridge was as stupefied as Dominicus was. The warp outside was... calm.

There were no daemons screaming for their demise, no turbulence that rocks the ship. It was only calm. And it was this calmness that brought everyone to the edge. It was simply too good to be true, too impossible to be true, too wrong to be true... and yet here it was.

For the first time in epochs, the warp was calm once more. Skyla was even more surprised than everyone else on the bridge. She, and by extension the rest of the navigators, always had to guide the vessel through a tumultuous tide, through screaming mountains and deceitful waters.

Always preparing themselves for the worst. Shielding their minds as best as they can as the neverborn scratches through their scalps like worms borrowing into the ground. Waiting and incubating for the strike that would damn them all. And for the first time in all of her service, she never felt so calm and peaceful as she was now.

She did not need the astronomicon as she could see everything. By the thousand stars she can see everything! It was so... clear. Skyla did not enjoyed the luxury however as she snapped out of her daze when she saw the exit point. Dominicus saw this as well as everyone else as they prepared for war.

"Dropping in 3, 2, 1!" Skyla yelled as the stars returned. Almost immediately, Dominicus saw the battle before him. 5 xenos warships coated in amethyst orbits around the planet. There were no imperial ships to be seen. Dominicus was dumbfounded how there was not a single human ship rising to its defense.

It was such a meager force. Such small in number yet no one was defending the planet. Why? Dominicus soon forego the thought as he snapped into focus. He needed to coordinate the defense with the forces he has. Now was not the time to ponder, now was the time for war.

"Give me reconnaissance on that planet now! Get us close as we possibly can! Split half of the lamenters into two teams. Dagger shall drop and aid the planet below with three companies from the Elysian drop troopers to aid them! 

Spear shall strike at the very heart of these xeno scum! Carry all the melta charges we have left and plant them within these filth!" A flurry of actions flooded through the bridge as everyone moves in unity.

Dominicus silently curled his hand into a fist as he stared at the planet below. With the help of the auspex scans, he could see the chaos engulfing the planet. He saw civilians being butchered as they ran for safety. Saw the PDF desperately buying time and trying to save as many as they can.

His blood boils in indignation at the sight but waited as he needed just a little more time to analyze the battle before him. His astartes brain conceives all possible variables and scenarios that would greatly aid in their victory. Calculations and risks run through its course in the span of a second.

The battle barge sailed through the void like a great whale across Terra's old oceans. As they get closer, another wave of distress calls hit them. "Distress call received! Transmitting now!" One of the men yelled as Dominicus straightened his back.

"This is the lamenters chapter of the imperium of man! Report soldier, what is the current status!" Dominicus yelled as a voice respond. "Who is this?! A-are you from the UNSC?? W-however you are please! Help us! We have civilians who cannot fight! We need..."

Dominicus frowned as not a single word he understood. "What is he saying?" Dominicus barked as the bridge hurriedly responds. "We are trying our best to translate sir!" "Well get it faster!" Dominicus impatiently yelled as the men tried to establish contact. Curses rang forth from the lower bridge, trying to decipher the language when a mechanical voice whispered beside him.

"The machine spirit must be placate captain Dominicus." Dominicus turned to see a lone techpriest walking towards the bridge. Its crimson red robes preceded it's reputation of mars as it walked over the consoles. "It needs to be calmed, pleased or it will not cooperate with us." the techpriest whispered before kneeling the translation.

After what seemed to be a few incantation, the machine miraculously worked. "Thank you techpriest Kein." Dominicus said as the techpriest simply nodded. "S-sir you are not going to believe this! T-the language he spoke! I-it's high gothic!" Dominicus blinked before recovering from the news.

"Though it is a distorted version, there is no doubt about it! This is high gothic sir!" Dominicus paused to divulge the information for a second before speaking. "Can you translate it?" The man nodded before another wave hits them.

"P-please! A-at least the children! At least save our children! They are killing my family! Please!" When the translation echoed across the intercoms once more, the men and women visibly trembled in rage as Dominicus took all of his strength and restrain from ordering the battle barge from ramming the vile xenos.

"This is Captain Dominicus from the lamenters chapter! Stand firm soldiers of the imperium, reinforcement had arrived!" The bridge cheered to a yell as, without further orders, the battle barge begins increasing its speed. Faster than ever before.

"The xenos have noticed us captain!" One of the men yelled as Dominicus frowned. "Prepare to engage! May the emperor's wrath burn in your hearts!" "The emperor protects!" The men yelled as the battle finally began. The battle barge opened fire without hesitation as pinpricks of light exploded from the giant warship.

Torpedoes launched at the vanguard of the mighty vessel as it races throughout the void. Pinpricks of light erupted from the vessels as it tried to destroy the torpedoes but some made it through. One of the giant warhead detonated into an orange flame to the closest ship. "Enemy void shields are down sir!" The men yelled as an egg-like cover collapses from the vessel. "Burn it to the ground." Dominicus growled as the men shouts. "Ave!"

A volley from the macro laser canons and plasma projectors screamed into the void. Dominicus did not need to call out an order as the battle barge was already reloading. Centuries of endless warfare had drilled such reflexes to the core of every waking men and women on the ship. "Second round ready sir!" "Fir-" "W-wait sir look!" the man cut off as Dominicus turned to see where he pointed at.

Dominicus eyes bulged when he saw the vessel had already collapsed. The burning debri splinters across the void as the four remaining vessels hurriedly scrambled far away from the burning wreck. "Emperor be praised. They're far too weak!" The man laughed as moral surged throughout the vessel.

Dominicus frowned however as it went well. Too well in fact. Of all his centuries of service, never had he fought an engagement as easy as this. There has to be a catch. A trap! There had always been one, in all of the years of his service.

"Are they really that weak?" Dominicus muttered as he could not believe such a thing to be true. Dominicus did not have the time nor the luxury to consider the words his men roared when a salvo of plasma and missle launched from the four remaining vessels.

Countless blue and purple missiles and lances screamed across the void as it made it way towards the battle barge. The point defense tried to shoot down as many as they can but the amount were simply overwhelming as it hits the battle barge.

The void shields roared to life almost instantaneously as the salvo made impact. "Damage report!" Dominicus cursed as he went idle for far too long. "Void shields integrity at... eh? It's... captain, the damage barely shave off 12% from the 1st layer. The remaining 3 were practically unscathed. 1st layer is already recovering sir!"

Dominicus was really now on edge as it was far too easy. Far too weak to be a xeno. "Confirm! Is this true?!" Dominicus yelled as he refused to believe it was such a case... and yet. "Confirmed sir! It barely took 12%!" and yet the answer was the still the same.

Dominicus wondered for a moment if this was really a ploy. To catch him off guard by appearing weak when another distress call emitted from the planet below. "They're attacking the bunkers! Plug up that gap now!" The desperate struggle snapped everyone to focus as Dominicus shouted.

"Drop Dagger at the designated targets now! Elysian troopers, prepare for drop! Strike hard and strike deep my brothers! Ave imperator!" "Ave imperator!" The lamenters yelled as seven drop pods raced to the planet below followed by a pitiful support of three dropships. "Skyla! Contact the main fleet if you can! We cannot underestimate these xenos no matter how weak they may appear! Call for reinforcements!"

"U-understood captain!" The navigator answered before falling into a deep trance. "Do not underestimate the xenos men! They may act weak but we know better from their deceitful kind! Ave imperator!" "Ave imperator!" The men yelled as the battle rages on.