Blood Raven Chapter, Planetary Governor Cisrain

"Blackstone Fortress. Fallen."

"Naval fleet. Fallen."

"Black obelisks falling. Above Cadia."

"The Great Rift torn in half. Accumulating."

Cisrain sat aboard the research vessel, his brow deeply furrowed. For no apparent reason, a voice mixed with roaring Warp energy echoed in his mind. It seemed someone had been constantly warning him of a coming crisis, but whenever that voice spoke, howling energy drowned it out.

He could neither hear it clearly nor make sense of it.

He had a rough idea who had been speaking to him.

It was just that the scientists he had assembled could not yet study the Warp. If he could respond, he only wanted to say, Sir, just sit peacefully on your toilet and stop worrying about nonsense. And quit calling me in my ear all the time. Once my Aether Phase Engine is complete, I'll drain the Warp dry for you.

"Governor, the terrestrial planet is close. Something seems to have flown past us."

"It was a crimson ship that looked very ancient."

Through the research vessel's command center, Cisrain saw the warship that had appeared out of thin air, bearing what looked like the insignia of some Space Marine Chapter.

Yet the vessel was not flying normally. It looked more as though someone had thrown it, sending it tumbling toward their target planet.

"Unknown energy fluctuations detected. They match the psychic energy already detected."

"Activate Level One shields."

"Activated."

"Prepare for impact."

"Prepared."

"Prepare to receive the impact."

A mass of extremely high-density energy shields appeared around the small research vessel's hull.

Amid the impact of dazzling, bizarre energy, the research vessel let out a piercing screech.

Several seconds passed.

The energy faded, and the research vessel stabilized.

"Governor, the hull has stabilized. The energy tide has vanished, but similar energy signatures have been detected nearby."

"Continue forward."

"Yes."

The ship continued toward the target planet.

That warship from before, along with the energy spewing from the Warp, had felt awfully targeted.

[Cisrain Southon]

[Stellaris Genetic Ascendant]

[Stellaris Genetic Immortal]

[Negative Status: Gaze of the Warp (automatically draws the attention of nearby Warp Chaos)]

[Daily Event: Recover research points from the target planet. Through reverse engineering at the homeworld research station, obtain the Synapse Condenser (Details: Unknown energy fluctuations have been discovered within the tomb of some alien construct. It may be a holy relic left behind by a lost civilization. By copying it, perhaps reverse engineering can yield unimaginable technology.)]

There was now a negative Warp status.

He had only just surveyed his first colony world, and he was already being watched?

This was Cisrain's second exploration of the universe since arriving in this world. After using the Stellaris template he had obtained to unify the entire planet, he had begun exploring beyond it.

His first exploration had told him what world he was in: the Warhammer universe.

This second exploration was meant to establish a research station on this planet, gather research points, and forge Stellaris weapons. Yet he had barely stepped out the door before Chaos set its sights on him. What an inauspicious start.

Cisrain donned the power armor reverse-engineered on his homeworld, the Gamma Empire. Looking at the colony planet scanned by the research vessel, at the region that had nearly been ruined by the Tau Empire and aliens, he thought, Is what I need in that area?

Even the most remote planets could not escape the fires of war burning across the galaxy.

"Governor, you're not planning to land on the planet personally again, are you?!"

Ozrax.

An industrial world repeatedly invaded by aliens, and one that the Imperium had abandoned.

Now, the entire industrial world had almost completely become an alien hive city. Its former forging glory and mineral refineries were now covered in the spores of hostile aliens. New alien creatures constantly emerged from those spores. Humanity's world had become an alien hive city.

Vulkan Castle.

As Ozrax's final bulwark of war, it was covered by vast numbers of alien constructs. Some places even bore traces of corruption by Warp energy.

Inside the cathedral, a group of people knelt in the darkness, praying to the God-Emperor.

"I solemnly swear unwavering loyalty. Should I ever waver, may my soul fall into the abyss."

"I solemnly swear unwavering loyalty. Should I ever waver, may my soul fall into the abyss."

"Stop praying."

"I solemnly swear."

"I solemnly swear."

"If miracles existed, they would have happened long ago. Give up your fantasies. We've been abandoned."

Ever since the Astra Militarum withdrew from Ozrax, not another army had been sent here. The remaining Imperial Guard forces had dwindled ever further. The Emperor—the Emperor had perhaps long since forgotten this place.

No matter how much loyal believers prayed, miracles that had never existed could not appear.

"Ozrax is finished. If you are truly loyal, then you should die for the Imperium."

An Imperial Guardsman revealed a look of despair and shouted at those who knew only how to pray.

They were the last Imperial Guard force stationed here, the mortal auxiliary troops who had remained behind. They had held this place for decades, steadfast in their belief that the Emperor would surely lead His warriors to reclaim this industrial world.

But after waiting for decades, they had not seen the Emperor. They had not seen reinforcements. Instead, Chaos had arrived.

Afterward, Chaos warbands came here once every year to harvest them, taking away batches of boys and girls. Through cruel and bloody methods, they replenished the Chaos warriors they had lost fighting the Imperium.

This year, those Chaos forces would soon return.

So, if they were truly loyal, they should die immediately rather than cling to life while waiting for a miracle and adding to the enemy's strength.

"It's useless. They won't listen to you. Giving them a little hope is fine. What if it happens?" Another veteran of the mortal auxiliary troops continued wiping down his gun barrel. "I left my home fifty years ago. Fifty years. Heh, you know, back in my hometown, they still haven't heard of an Imperial Guardsman living as long as I have. If I could go back, I'd probably be a legend. Of course, I can't go back. I just hope this bullet isn't meant for me."

"The Emperor will hear my loyalty. The Emperor's angels will descend."

They had heard words like that in prayer a thousand times every day.

What use was repeating them again and again?

"The Emperor will hear my loyalty. The Emperor's angels will—"

"Bzzzz!"

A dull tremor rang through the air.

It shook a cloud of ash loose from the cathedral ceiling.

Something seemed to have struck something in the sky, triggering an explosion.

The veteran cleaning his gun immediately sprang up and looked toward the heavens.

In the sky.

A burning warship was falling toward the ground.

A warship.

No. Not a Chaos warship. The veteran's pupils contracted. It was—it was human.

And it was a Space Marine warship.

The sight sent a shudder through the veteran's entire body.

Though he had numbly told himself countless times that the Imperium would never come again, that the Imperium had forgotten them.

But—

When it truly happened.

The blood in his heart began to boil again.

It had been decades.

The Imperium had not forgotten them.

The Imperium had finally sent someone.

"The Imperium has come!"

"The Imperium has come!"

A joke:

The Imperium uses High Gothic. When interviewed, the Votann dwarves said they felt discriminated against.