Chương 33: Arrival of the Tyrant Star

The Aeldari representative swept her gaze over me, then looked at the Inquisitor, and finally at the Rogue Trader, who clearly wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible. Unfortunately for him, we might still need him, as both I and, I suspect, Soldevan are very interested in how he managed to find such an asset in the first place. And although by law Rogue Traders had the right to work alongside xenos, they were not untouchable and remained servants of the Emperor.

Therefore, the Inquisitor had authority over him and could demand all information regarding his crew. Especially if the lives of countless billions and the fate of entire worlds depended on it.

"In that case, would you care to share what you know about Komus? And it wouldn't hurt to introduce yourself." Soldevan's voice shattered the silence, though the atmosphere didn't improve much, remaining icy cold.

"You may call me Ala'dais. I read about these myths in our libraries. These stories spoke of truly ancient legends, recorded even before the Fall, and therefore only a fraction of knowledge has survived from those times. Once, this patch of space was ruled by another Empire, infinitely distant both from you and even from my people."

"They were vile creatures even compared to the most terrifying spawn of the Great Ocean, although they possessed an incredible talent for controlling psychic energy that could rival even ours. According to the records, they were creations of the gods of the past, who also created our species to fight in the most ancient war against the Great Enemy."

"It is known that they were weapons of mass destruction on a galactic scale, except no one knows exactly how they fought and destroyed millions of worlds. And the texts placed a special emphasis on this, someone erased all information about their methods of waging war, leaving behind only a single message." The Aeldari looked away, staring into the void. Despite this, she continued a few seconds later. And judging by her deeply serious voice, the problem truly troubled her.

"Forget." That made me exchange a glance with the Inquisitor. He was clearly just as bewildered as I was, yet looked intensely interested. I was far more skeptical about the usefulness of this information, but I listened carefully anyway, pressing her with a few questions.

"Is this some kind of Chaos weapon? A race that worshipped the damned pantheon? Servants of daemons?" Ala'dais shook her head in denial.

"No, even the most terrifying spawn of the thirsting gods fear them and dare not deal with them. Gods... these creatures serve no one and worship no one, rather considering themselves worthy of worship. For tens of millions of years they lived among dying stars, where every member of their species ruled a separate planet, spending eternity surrounded by billions of slaves. The Yu'vath Empire was incredibly powerful, but their small numbers were always their main weakness."

Silence descended upon the room after her words, as everyone was left to their own thoughts. The Yu'vath. Things are getting stranger and stranger. I, of course, knew of these xenos, as did any other person who had studied the history of Calixis. They were the ones Lord Angevin defeated during the Crusade, and whom Drusus subsequently finished off. Except, despite their incredibly important role in the sector's history, there were almost no specifics about them.

Atreus and Jaya had told me that they were powerful Warp-worshippers and sorcerers who subjugated the minds of entire human worlds, after which they committed such atrocities that the chroniclers of the Crusade refrained from even mentioning them. Their empire, which ruled over a multitude of enslaved races, was already in a period of decline by then, but despite this, it was written that every individual Yu'vath could possess millions of slaves to fulfill all their whims and caprices.

Except they lost, and everything that remained of their state was destroyed, with practically all data regarding their locations erased. Ruins of their worlds remained in a few places, but nothing more. Even my mentors, who possessed very rare knowledge, just threw their hands up when talking about them. Jaya hadn't even been born yet, and Atreus was in a different part of the galaxy, so he couldn't observe exactly how the war against the xenos was fought.

But a single fact was enough for me: the technology of these aliens could drive a person insane from just a single glance at it. Whatever they were, this was clearly a massive threat to all of humanity. In principle, it all sounded more or less logical. The Yu'vath were known for their maddening Warp technologies and genetic experiments on their slaves. What does the Tyrant Star do? It causes mass hysteria, awakens psykers, and turns people into mutants.

It was unclear why they had returned exactly now, millennia after their defeat, but even to that one could logically answer that a portion of their forces had retreated into the depths of space or even the Warp, amassing strength there in preparation for a counterstrike. Except I doubt their goal is simply to drive as many citizens of the Imperium insane as possible. In all this time, they haven't attacked a single truly important Imperial world, appearing only in various backwaters.

I immediately posed my question to the Aeldari.

"Well, then what exactly is the Ghost Star? Some kind of superweapon? A battle station? A Dyson sphere?"

"It is..." Suddenly, Ala'dais fell silent, her eyes widening as she stared upward. The Rogue Trader and the Inquisitor looked at me in bewilderment, but a second later they noticed that I, too, had shifted my gaze.

"Do you feel it? They are coming... No, no, no! This shouldn't be happening! They weren't supposed to arrive this quickly! And not this strong..." The Outcast spoke in a frantic voice, bordering on hysteria. The Inquisitor immediately stood up, while I struggled to stay on my feet. A sharp pain pierced my head, followed just as quickly by the familiar and even pleasant breeze, acting stronger than ever. I felt a wave of the Warp wash through me and the entire station, bringing terrifying visions.

Here it is, it has begun. I tried to sense the changes in the Immaterium, but it wasn't particularly difficult, as the Warp across the entire star system twisted almost instantly due to some incredible object affecting the entire Sea of Souls. After that, it was as if the shadow of something massive covered the entire system, blocking access for other ships. The Black Star had finally arrived at Pry.

"This is... impossible power... The damned have come here, and they have arrived to..." Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. After she whispered those final words, Ala'dais's eyes seemed to dim, and consciousness could no longer be seen within them. I felt that something very bad was happening to her soul and mind, but right now I was powerless to influence it in any way. I had problems of my own.

"We need to activate all our protocols. We didn't prepare for this confrontation for nothing... Gabriel?" Soldevan jumped up and had already started issuing orders when he noticed me, frozen in place. I was about to warn him of what was coming, but the words wouldn't leave my throat. In an instant, I went rigid and couldn't move. At that moment, my body remained in Soldevan's mansion, but my mind was plunged into the Immaterium, and I couldn't tear my gaze away from Komus, as if something was forcing me to look.

I saw an incredibly massive construct, seemingly made of the very energy of the Immaterium, appear out of nowhere with the snap of a finger. In an instant, it illuminated the entire star system with its cursed glow, and there was nowhere to hide from it no matter where you went. But its effect on the material world was secondary. The Warp was changing the most. The Sea of Souls seemed to scream in agony as an unknown energy began moving through it in waves.

It was vaguely similar to the Ruinous Powers of Chaos, but only the general elements were familiar. It was less destructive and chaotic, but exerted a far more crushing pressure on the mind. If Chaos corrupts its victims and lures them to fall into the abyss, this thing simply tries to break you. Honestly, I doubt I would have been able to look at the star without instantly losing my mind if it weren't for my mental defenses. But even so, the pressure was incredible, and my mental shield was barely holding.

For the first time in my life, I encountered something that so vastly surpassed me in raw psychic might. I saw... everything. My mind was being torn to pieces as it tried to comprehend what was happening. This terror was far removed from the familiar Immaterium, to say nothing of the material world. I had had the fortune of encountering a Greater Daemon, but even that was incapable of inspiring such horror.

I saw hundreds of small, worm-like figures instantly detach from the star and immediately begin swarming around the monumental object, as if defending it. Although, it should be noted that Komus was not the size of an actual star, but a large planet at most. But in this moment, that didn't help much. The strangest thing I saw was that... tentacles seemed to be erupting from the star.

It was hard to describe, because they changed every second, distorting their shape and size, as they consisted of pure psychic energy and were visible only in the Immaterium. However, these appendages were simply titanic in scale, as if trying to wrap themselves around the entire star system. But the worst part was that I saw one of the tentacles moving toward Pry. And I felt that, whatever this thing was, it was hungry. And I couldn't even move a muscle to do anything.

Trying to break free from this strange state, I used my power without holding back, almost without restraint. With a single exertion of will, my figure instantly began to shine with every possible color as an incredible flow of energy surged through my body. My eyes instantly blazed from the amount of psychic energy, while the Warp around me began to shudder as if in the midst of a storm. Gritting my teeth, I felt the power pulsing through my body, gradually returning my control over it.

It took simply titanic effort to raise my hands and grasp my staff. The psychic weapon practically flared up from the might passing through it, but it was sturdy enough to withstand it and not explode. Having secured my psy-focus, controlling the power became much easier, allowing me to finally shatter the chains of the delusion. A light tap of the staff's base against the floor sent a wave of energy rippling outward, terminating the corrupting influence.

Pure Warp energy washed away any delusion and that cursed light, preventing it from driving us mad and controlling us. My freedom of movement returned, as did that of the other people around me. Soldevan was breathing heavily, while the Rogue Trader knelt in terror, trying to catch his breath while reciting some prayer. The Aeldari remained in her chair, clutching her head and grimacing deeply. Although they could all move, they were clearly out of sorts, which was unacceptable in this situation.

I exhaled heavily and wiped the sweat away with my hand. I had walked the absolute razor's edge, nearly plunging too deep into the Immaterium. A little more and I would have become pure energy, exploded, or worse. Except despite all the risks, this was only the beginning. I closed my eyes and, trying not to look at the star, sought the light of the Astronomican. Fortunately, Komus couldn't get rid of it. Well, at least for the moment.

I snapped my fingers, and golden light radiating from my figure filled the room, after which the fear and anxiety instantly vanished, leaving only confidence and icy serenity. At this moment, I didn't care about the consequences of using the power, because surviving and saving the people here was more important.

"Wake up and pull yourselves together." My voice was filled with power, echoing throughout the entire mansion and far beyond its walls. I poured all the serenity I was capable of into it, and the effect was immediate. Soldevan and Marcus instantly snapped out of it, focusing their gaze entirely on me. Amusingly, the effect worked even on Ala'dais, who, despite wincing, began to look in my direction with comprehension. I don't care how the Emperor's power works on her, the main thing is that it worked.

"What. Was. That!?" The Rogue Trader was still shocked, but at least he was lucid now. He was the first to practically shout his question, while continuing to swivel his head and clutching at something in his pocket. I suspect it was a well-hidden weapon. Although the fact that he had brought it to an audience with an Inquisitor is a serious crime, now was not the time for that.

"Komus has arrived, that is what happened," I answered him calmly, gradually dimming my light. Before I could continue, a breathless Jaya burst through our door without knocking. Judging by her pale face and dilated pupils, she had also felt the full might of the Ghost Star. Running straight to us, Jaya leaned against the wall and began to catch her breath. A few seconds later, she asked me a question, looking all of us over.

"How bad is the situation? What did you see?" I didn't waste time and simply sent her a telepathic message containing all the information I had gleaned about Komus. It took her about five seconds to process it all, after which she started swearing in a language unknown to me. And only half a minute later did she answer in the most serious voice possible.

"Threat level Ordo Malleus Extremis. Possibly even Terminus." Now it was Soldevan's turn to swear. He expressed himself in Low Gothic, so I understood him perfectly. I can relate, as I understood the threat level designations used by the Inquisition. Malleus designated the type of threat, specifically a threat originating from the Warp, which can be either a spawn of that hellish dimension or a product of its influence. The second word denoted the magnitude of the problem.

Extremis meant a threat to multiple worlds that could escalate to endanger the entire sector. And Terminus... In the far future, the Tyranids would be designated a Terminus-level threat. It is the absolute highest danger level, posing a potential threat to all of humanity.

"We need to convene an emergency meeting with everyone who can help in this situation. A delegation of Black Templars and an Order of the Sisters of Battle should be at the Temple of Drusus, and the local defense barracks are located near the Administratum fortress. We also need to send someone to the local Shrine of the Omnissiah to inform them of what is happening and coordinate. We could also try to find the Arbitrators and request their aid."

The Inquisitor instantly began formulating a plan of action, having already pulled out his vox-bead and starting to speak some codes into it.

"We can also commandeer the corporate fleets and hire every mercenary available here. Their reliability is laughable, but in this situation, we need everyone we can get our hands on." Jaya also joined in, beginning to supplement Soldevan's plan. After that, she turned to the Rogue Trader and asked him a question.

"How many forces do you have under your command? It doesn't matter, we need everyone you have. Also, unpack your stockpiles of whatever weapons you have. Yes, even the hidden and unlicensed ones. At this moment, certain laws of the Imperium cease to apply, and we can turn a blind eye to such transgressions." The trader said nothing, simply nodding with a heavy sigh. Yes, losing profit is bad, but life is still more valuable.

After that, she turned to Ala'dais, who was only just now able to stand up, and looked her straight in the eye.

"As for you, you can start talking. Everything you know about the Tyrant Star. And I do not advise lying or trying to evade in an attempt to hide something. My patience is not infinite. Unlike my authority."