332 Tense Negotiations

Waiting for half an hour was never fun for me, now, i had watched reincarnated as a slime for most of that time but still... I was drinking a coffee as the crew all went about their work, most of it being centred around maintenance checks and the occasional report from one of the sensors.

"Mistress, I am detecting a spatial anomaly synchronized to the distortions caused by warp travel."

'Finally...!'

"Good, prepare the comms line for imminent talks."

Several crew around the bridge began to hastily initiate the various relays for 3D-Hardlight Communication. It was a new technology that basically broadcast my form into hard light and placed it on the other ship, my senses being projected through the technology into the Hard Light construct. It used a lot of complex mathematical concepts and physics ideas but all together it was just me 'physically' communicating with them.

"All is ready Mistress!"

As soon as Justiciara finished a 'large' vessel appeared in the middle of space, the warp cracking into reality before rescinding like a reeling tentacle of madness. The main display showed the Battleship of the Imperium its length roughly 10km and its architecture being absolutely massive and awe inspiring. I laughed a little at the size difference between my vessel and theirs, mine was 120km in length with about half of that length in width... It was tiny in comparison to my Justiciara.

"Just in time... Contact that Battleship."

"Initiating contact."

In but a moment my mind was thrust into the vessel before my eyes. A solid form of pure light surrounded my senses as following it came the definition and realism of my actual body and clothing. I was currently in my ten foot tall body and had my Military Uniform on. It was a pitch black with bright silver lining and metallic pieces.

Looking around me I could see the massive bridge room of the Dawn of Fire, Roboute Guilliman's flagship. The various segments of the bridge were darkened and dramatic as bright neon green lights shone from computer monitors and screens. People milled around the bridge, many of them turning to look at 'me' as I appeared. Directly above this lower deck was a secondary level with a massive galactic map, a man of immense size and armoured grit sitting next to the map with his fingers steepled.

Stepping forwards I began to walk up to the secondary level, through the air, my form being that of light making me able to ignored the restrictions of most laws of mass/gravity. My feet landed on small projections of light in the air until hard light touched the ceramite plating the bridge's decks.

"Roboute Guilliman, it is an honour to meet the one in charge of the Imperium." The man's head turned in my direction, his eyebrows raising as his left hand reached for his father's sword beside him... His hair was a pallid blonde with a regal bearing similar to how people would see Julius Caesar. Blue eyes gleamed with the low light of the room as he slowly stood to his full eight-foot tall height.

"What sorcery is this!?"

"It is not sorcery son of the God Emperor, it is technology... Now, why can't we just have a pleasant conversation?" His eyebrows furrowed and his expression gained a hardness to it that gave evidence to his experiences in life. Steely-eyed and calculating, he remained standing, sheathing the blade on his side, the fiery patterns of the sword being hidden from sight at the same time.

"What is it you wish to speak to me about?"

"Well, I have come to this planet to purge what you call 'The Great Enemy' or, the Tyranids... This is due to a conflict i recently had with their hivemind in this solar system, not but three or four days ago." 

His expression was unchanging and unmoveable as he looked at me like I was an interesting book for him to uncover and discover the contents of. I could tell he was collecting every little fibre of my body language, actions, words, mannerisms, everything was tabulated. Frightening was one word that could be used to describe the man's intelligence and that was putting it lightly... He was a monster made from the Emperor's own image and forged by the weight of expectation, duty, survival and love.

"I see. You do understand that this is an Imperial Planet and that you are technically intruding in matters not your own?"

"Indeed, I have made an agreement with an Adepta Sororitas on the planet's surface, she asked for our basic aid for her mission, which was to get to the planet and wipe out harmful aspect of the planet's inhabitants... She asked for transport and some minor aid. In payment we were going to go through your Imperium's channels to contact your leadership."

His eye twitched ever so slightly at hearing the audacity of the Sister Superior but it was only a slight twinge and was easily forgotten by most, not me though. 

"I understand. So, you are saying that you are here because of a request for aid and that we should let you do as you will?"

"No, that is not what i am saying... I am giving you the basics of the situation so that you may be informed of what happened, so that you can make rational and logical decisions, not based upon lies or misinformation but the stories of both my side and your own people."

I could feel his emotions turn mirthful as he heard that, his hearts beating a little faster at the prospect of speaking with someone who could actually comprehend his thought processes. 

"Interesting. Fine, i shall allow you to stay within the orbit of Redna... As for the extermination of the Xenos on this planet? That will require a building of trust on both sides... I recommend you give me any possibly dangerous information at this moment so that we may not find it under worse circumstances. Secondly, I would want to confirm whether you and your crew are human, is that possible?"

Now it was my turn to be a little interested. I knew that Guilliman was reasonable, to an extent, within the law of Warhammer but this seemed very easy. Perhaps it was my charm or possibly it was the manner i approached him in but he seemed very easy to talk to... Most likely it was the fact that I seemed like the only 'normal' person that he had spoken to since waking up and finding the Imperium as a shell of its former glory.

"I can wait for the Xenos element. As for potentially dangerous information... How do you feel about IAI?"

His face instantly dropped cordiality, his left hand gripping onto his sword as the armour whirred with the influx of strength into his limbs and muscles. I wasn't scared because i was currently a projection but it still added a forebodingness to the atmosphere.

"AI!? What maddened Chaos-infested insanity drove you to use those... those, things!?" Every word was spat with venom as spittle flew from his mouth. He drew the attention of various members of the crew, who soon began to arm the vessel for imminent combat.

"Not AI. IAI, controlled, managed and bound AI... Fully under my control and clean of all corruption and interference through my own means, technologically, psychically and magically."

His mood and countenance shifted to a more calm but wary stance as his muscles soothed, stopping the whirring of his power armour. The Crew was still on its way towards full battle readiness as he looked at me in utter seriousness and barely contained anger.

"Speak! What do you mean?"

"My lord, to even consider..."

"Shut your mouth! Let her speak."

The drama was palpable. I knew that this revelation was going to be a hard pill to swallow but ultimately the band aid needed to be ripped off. Not to mention the fact that it would serve me better to be upfront about something easily discoverable by any Tech Priest.

"To explain it will be hard..."

"Imagine that this galaxy is only one of many, that this universe which is made up of many galaxies is itself only one among many. Now, consider the idea of these universes all existing within a space we call the Multiverse. Now, like the spaces before this the Multiverse is one of many, all of them being within a Cosmos or alternatively named, reality."

He nodded along understanding the concept as he had read and learned much from his time back on Terra before the Horus Heresy and this included science, physics and many other topics. Seeing his patience waning I decided to get to the juicy bits.

"My Imperium, The Veritas Imperium, comes from a Multiverse of a lesser power level than yours, a lesser standing so to speak. In my original Multiverse we ran into a power that could snuff out Multiverses like it was but a candle's flame to an exhale of breath... We fled with the help of one of the Superior beings amongst the Multiverse, his name being The One Above All."

This got his attention as he considered the threat of this being I was speaking of as immensely important. What if it came for his Multiverse or even this Galaxy next? What if it was already here?

I continued.

"We now reside within a new Multiverse, the new Multiverse's beings accepting us as refugees of a sort. I have since created a unification of powerful people and Xenos that are concentrated on supporting one another against this foe."

"Now, onto my reasons for being here... I have a similar level of power to your Father, the God Emperor of Mankind. As you know that is an immense power and sense that i possess. From the moment i looked into this Multiverse, specifically this Galaxy, I knew that if I did not come here to stop Chaos and the Tyranids that all life in the Cosmos would end."

This truly got his attention as he sat down onto his previous seat, his hands steeping again as tiredness and intense contemplation began to fight within him. I understood his problem, he was only one man, a Demi-god-like man but still only a man... He could only do so much and he was already doing everything within his power.

"This is why my Imperium resorted to using everything at our disposal. As we speak hundreds of my ships fight my enemy in the new multiverse i travelled to. But, i considered this a more important battle field... The life of the new multiverse i was part of? Or all of the cosmos? You can understand the choice I had made... Can't you?"

"An impossible one. I, Understand..."

He was silent for several moments as everyone on the bridge had turned towards us as they listened to this conversation also. Death and violence was a daily occurrence for them all, for the Imperium in general and now they had been informed that their fight was not only important for themselves but all human lives across the boundless parts of space, the Cosmos.

"Prove to me their loyalty and your control over them... You cannot ask more of me. I have seen the chaos AI has caused in my Brother's coup. I have heard tales of the Dark Age of technology, I need a guarantee that they will not betray us... And even still, I am reluctant to trust my soldiers and sons to such manipulatable things."

"I understand, I know this is difficult to accept but as you have heard, I have made a lot of effort to come here and stop this calamitous future. I would like to be allies with the Imperium of Man and even the Emperor himself, it is better if we work together than be divided."

He nodded as he pressed his forehead into his hands.

"Please be prepared to facilitate a tour of your capital vessel... If i am to identify the validity of your words I must see for myself."

"All good... You may come aboard at any time." I disconnected the projection and felt myself come back to my mind and body. 

"Justiciara, I wish for you to showcase to our oncoming guest that you are fully supportive of our goals and that you will follow every order I give you... Is that clear?"

"Yes Mistress, it has always been this way and I shall show no less."

I sighed whilst leaning back into my chair... Diplomacy was always so tiring.

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