1 A gift

Year of the Emperor 979, 29th Millenium.

Solar Planetary System, Earth, Homeworld of the 11th Holy Son.

430 kilometers outside of the planet's capital, in a small village.

Sun was setting and it was raining heavily. Outside a small cottage near the edge of the village gathered a group of three middle-aged men.

Two of them were sitting under the oak tree with cold bottles in hand while the third man paced back and forth nervously.

"Relax Lyon, it's not your first time, why are you so nervous?" one of the men sitting jokingly spoke up after a few minutes.

Lyon shook his head, continuing his pace.

"I don't know, I just feel a little strange. Last night...I had a strange dream."

"Oh? What kind of dream?"

Lyon paused, "A...tree."

"Tree? Isn't that good? Tree means life, that's usually a good thing!"

"No," Lyon shook his head again, "Not just a tree. It was huge, the tree's branches were holding up the sky and the stars, and its roots giving birth to all kinds of things. And underneath it was a grave next to which sat a man, a bloody soldier. I remember it so vividly," he mumbled the last sentence under his breath somberly before looking towards the main building.

A little boy, 6-7 years of age was sitting beside the door on a wooden chair.

"Marcus, go check on your mother," Lyon yelled, startling the boy.

Marcus nodded and jumped down from the chair. He walked up to the door and opened it a little.

"Mom, dad is aski-" he didn't even have time to get the sentence out before several loud voices interrupted him.

"Push darling, you're so close!"

"AAAHH!"

"I can see the head, just a little more! You're almost there love!"

Marcus quickly closed the door and ran towards his father.

"Dad, aunty said she can see the head!" he reported animatedly.

The two men behind them stood up abruptly and slapped Lyon on the back.

"See? Its almost over, nothing to worry about, go!"

"Y-Yeah," Lyon nodded and walked towards the building.

He stopped outside the door, listening to the screams of his beloved wife giving birth to their second child.

*Ruuuumble*

Lightning snaked through the black clouds, faraway rumbling of thunder coming in a few seconds later. But it never struck, simply looming over their heads threateningly.

Lyon's right hand was gripping a three-inch wide metallic medal so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

"Please let everything be okay, please. I will apply for that post I have been putting off for so long. As long as they both come out of this safe, I will apply for one of the colony planets and move there," he prayed.

"Let the Emperor's light guide the way for my family!" he repeated that line over and over again.

Even among his fellow ranking officers in the Imperial Navy, he was a devout believer and follower of the once great emperor.

*RUUUMBLE~*

"Dad..." little Marcus hugged his father's leg.

All of a sudden, the incessant noise coming from the room came to a halt. Lyon's heart lurched.

"Stay here," he patted Marcus on the head without looking down and entered the room.

Inside, his wife was laying on the bed covered in blood, sweat, and tears.

"Honey..." she called out weakly.

"Aida, what's wrong?" he saw the tears rolling down her face.

Beside her stood two old women, one of them holding something in her arms.

Lyon's heart was in his throat.

"Why....is there no crying?" he asked feebly.

He knew the answer yet he could not bring himself to accept it.

The old lady holding the newborn walked over and handed him a neatly wrapped child.

"She was stillborn. I'm...sorry, son."

Lyon couldn't breathe. He looked down and saw a tiny face peeking through the white blanket.

"What...are you talking about? She looks fine," he mumbled absentmindedly.

Hearing his words, Aida started sobbing uncontrollably. She tried to sit up but the other old lady quickly ran up to her.

"You mustn't move, love," she said trying to calm her down.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Aida yelled repeatedly.

*RUUUMBLE~*

"No, it c-can't be," Lyon stuttered, "I'm a good person, I'm a good soldier. How could this happen to me? I have spent my entire life in the service of the empire, I'm a good person," he started rambling, still staring at the face of his daughter.

She looked like she was just taking a nap.

"It can't be true, NO-" he shouted.

*RUUUUMBLE*

*BOOOOOOOM*

The sky rumbled and a bolt of lightning fell from the sea of clouds. It struck the courtyard, sending piles of dirt flying everywhere.

For just a second, all the lights within the room brightened to such a degree that everyone was blinded. Everyone except Lyon that is. Strangely enough, he could still see everything clearly.

In the doorway stood a figure bathed in white light. Time seemed to have come to a halt as Lyon gazed upon this stranger.

The figure took one step and was standing in front of Lyon. He extended his right fist and opened it.

And in his palm was a tree, the same tree Lyon had seen in his dream.

The tree lifted into the air before slowly coming down. It entered the body of the newborn and disappeared within it.

Lights flashed again and everything returned to normal.

"What..." Lyon looked around and saw the old ladies on the floor. Everyone was knocked out.

And then he felt something move in his embrace, "Uwaaaah!"

****

Libra Planetary System, Homeworld of the Immortal Emperor and primary headquarters of the Imperium, Solum.

Within the very depths of the Great Imperial Palace, the throne room of the Immortal Emperor.

A seat that had been vacant for nearly eight thousand years stirred awake.

*Beeeep*

"Signal detected. Beginning final succession order."

*Beep*Beep*

"Activating Project Omnicron."

"Initializing contact with the Lost Legions."

"Welcome home....master."