We paid for a room and some food...

We saw the Duke's daughter again, her staff glowed the same chaotic red... the voices came to me and I had to stop myself from deal with it with my weapon.

We got a two bed room this time, I laid down on my bed and put my Rifle on the side table...

As we laid in bed... it was clear we couldn't sleep as I looked at the wall thinking about what happened.

What we did was what the tutorial told us. 'If you have to fight a Psyker, concentrate fire and force the target into a state were they need to defend themselves until the Warp overwhelms them allowing you and your allies to wipe him out before a Demon takes over said Psyker.'

I look at my hand... it may look clean but... I can feel the blood on it...

Suddenly I felt someone hugging my back...

"Please... I just want to be held." I hear Hannah's voice, it was small and I could hear the brink of crying that she was on...

I turn over and looked at her, she already had tears going down her cheeks...

Reaching out I wipe it off and rub her head again... the tension in her shoulders visibly relaxed as she closed her eyes and more tears came...

I held her close... as I did so my mind wondered... could we have ran instead of fighting? No what good would that have done?

I wonder what has happened at home? How much time has passed?

Hannah's breathing slowed and relaxed she had finally fallen asleep... It wasn't long but hearing her breaths help me fall asleep.

…

..

.

When we had awoken Hannah although blushing thanked me for aiding her sleep.

.

We eat pretty silently our minds still on yesterday...

[Good morning] The System didn't have it's enthusiasm or stern tone it had when it spoke to us yesterday... it was somber and slightly dejected.

We didn't respond ourselves still in our own thoughts...

[I know this isn't a good time but... you both have leveled up, whatever that is worth right now]

We both looked at each other and simultaneously opened our status... 

[Master Status]

Name Joseph The God Emperor of Mankind Successor 

Level 1 of Rank 1->Level 7 of Rank 1

HP: 100->160

PP: 100->130

(Open Equipment Menu?) (New Equipment Available)

(Call Reinforcements?)

Party Members: Hannah The Omnissiah Successor,

(Close?)

"What will we learn today?" I ask, it was clear we were not going to be able to avoid this.

The System seemed to think...

[It is in regards to the Call Reinforcements, but I can wait if you guys want?]

Hannah shook her head and said she needed something to distract her... I agreed.

[Well we need a another isolated place again]

We started moving again towards the Forest but the System said the we needed to be somewhere more open... So we got to the edge of Forest we asked if we could do it on the edge or did we need to go into an open field?

[This works but I would recommend the open field, and before you ask the reason why the field is better is due to the size you could get to later on, and better not waste time cutting tree down, no?]

Slightly interested we moved in between the Forest and the Village. About an hour to the Forest and nearly two to the Village.

"This good?" Hannah asked.

[Yes, no one should see this]

Me and Hannah looked at each other.

"See what?" I ask.

[You will see if you used Call Reinforcements]

[Call Reinforcements]

(Found HQ?)

With a mental press, a green outline of what looks like a simple prefab Aquila Strongpoint without any weapons, it had a Antenna array making the Command Bunker.

[Master, Mistress you both will have different forces as expected, but while you may upgrade your HQ freely the first you'll have to handle the basic forces, for you Master the Imperial Guard recruits and the Machanicus Acolytes for Mistress, well when you get the first recruitment building]

As I look at the outline, reaching out my right hand I grab onto the outline to find not only that I could feel it, but move it around as I dragged it...

When I release my grip another message popped up asking (Is this the area you want to Found your HQ? WARNING THIS DECISION IS FINAL!)

I hold off, it was Hannah did as well...

"System is there anywhere within a few hour walk from here with a commanding view?" I ask, If I have to make a base its either going to be in the side of a Mountain or on top... but a Commanding view works all the same. 

"Hmm." I hear Hannah, her tone sounded concerned.

"What's up?" I ask.

"Well from what the System said about 'basic' Forces... Acolytes aren't combat Forces in any sense of the word, they aren't Enginseers' that needs a lot of training... to be both a Tech-Priest and a Combat Engineer... it just..."

"So you also noted the fact that I'm basically the only combat troops..." I add to what she wanted to say...

[I can answer that] The System chimed, [But first Master, there is a Commanding view about three Kilometers to your south-east, it is about two hours from the Forest and the Village] With that we left the Reinforcement Menu, but the System continued, [In regards to your question Mistress, while what you say is true, I may have...] the System stalls out and I could 'see' the hand being rolled around as it thought of what to say...

It took the System some time... said time was nearly an hour...

[I is rather hard, but I can explain it with in the context to how the HQ works?]

"That should be fine and what took you so long?" Hannah said and asked.

[I had to ask my Creator in regards, but I can answer it within how it works along side the HQ]

'Okay' we both thought, and so the System continued.

[The Forces I had mentioned at the start are Combat troops, the HQ has its defensive troops and non-combatants who will defend the HQ, the Level of said HQ will add more defensive troops.

I can explain what troops you can get up to three Levels along side the Defensive troops

For Master:

At Level one his HQ will allow him to recruit; Guardsmen Command Squad (6 per). The Defensive troops will be Green PDFs (6 Defenders).

At Level two his HQ will allow him to recruit; Guardsmen Command Squad (7 per) Upgrade I. The Defensive troops will be again Green PDFs more of them and come with a Veteran Private (12 Defenders).

At Level three his HQ will allow him to recruit; Guardsmen Command Squad (8 per) Upgrade II. The Defensive troops will be Half Trained and Half Green PDFs (16 Defenders).

For Mistress:

At Level one her HQ will allow her to recruit; Machanicus Command Squad (6 per). The Defensive troops will be Skitarii Acolytes (3 per)

At Level two her HQ will allow her to recruit; Machanicus Command Squad (6 per) Upgrade I. The Defensive troops will be Skitarii Acolytes (6 per)

At Level three her HQ will allow her to recruit; Machanicus Command Squad (6 per) Upgrade II. The Defensive troops will be Skitarii Acolytes with Full Skitarii (7 per).

So there]

"Can you explain what we could expect from them?" I asked, sure what it told us was good but... those mean fuck all depending what World they are from.

[I can.

While I know, that Guardsmen are different depending on the Worlds but you can decide who you want, along side the PDFs.

But for Mistress, her forces would be different, her forces are more specialized like the Collegia Titanica and other very forces that aren't Skitarii]

"What?" Did I hear that right? I decide what World there from? "You telling me I can decide what world they are from?"

[Yes-ish]

"Ish?" I asked.

[Technically you can only choose your Special Units like the Death Korps of Krieg, Catachan Jungle Fighters and the Mordian Iron Guard]

Okay then.

"Then what about the PDFs and my own Acolytes?" Hannah asked, "What if the PDFs are just some Under-Hivers? Or even my Acolytes? What if I have people from an Agri-World or Feudal?"

[Oh that? The Schola Progenium tends to lose a few Students from Unknown reasons... be assured those... 'repurposed' as my Creator would say...

They are the same in one thing their Minds have been burned with one thought.

"YOU-ARE-THE-RIGHTFUL-SUCCESSORS!" They are completely loyal to you two and would never betray you. Those are only for if you Call Reinforcements or are the Defenders/Base 'sitters', if you have other men like locals it is up to you to Convince them.

Those said Forces would be limited early on. What I can say about the HQ Levels you both would barely have 100 Combat Troops between you two at Level 5 and only then would you could get anything larger then squads or singular Armored Assets]

…

..

.

We walked and talked with the System more about the "HQ System" and expanded what we know of it is.

Outside of what we learned already, we would need to build stuff along side our HQ and that our HQs can be merged into a singular base, but it warned us about the issue of... power and law, Who had overall security? Who was in-charge of what section of the Base? And who is under what authority/laws?

And so on...

The over-complexity of the Imperium giving us a headache, so we just throw up our hands and said simply, "The Guardsmen will hold the Base and overall command, but within building of respective sides they hold the Laws"

In other words we are treating the Base as if it was a Fortress-World, where the Guard holds overall rule on the world but within certain places, like the Machanicus Sections and Sisters Churches hold the Laws if you were inside them.

It was a crude way to deal with it, but we couldn't really deal with that and then I asked aloud, "What am I going to get Worshipped by them?"

"What who? You men?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah. Will they worship me like a god?"

[That is for you to decide, Will you become what the Emperor didn't want? Or are you the Successor that could fix what the Emperor would have destroyed]

"I will not talk about that yet." I tell the System, although I would air on the side of the Emperor would have destroyed the Imperial Cult... but having a Religious Zealots as soldiers has it's benefits, that debate would get me fucked by everyone.

For the Emperor or the Imperium? That is the real question...

As we climbed the hill that the System said had the Commanding view I had to agree... We could see for kilometers from here, from the look of it this world allows about 8 to 12 kilometers of view before the horizon is lost... to the west I can see the Village, farther to the south I can see the tops of larger buildings? But without any equipment to help I can't tell detail other then... to Forest to the north I can see some of the tree tops are even taller than our position... what I wouldn't give for a tree house on top... and I nor Hannah could see jack shit to the east Berrien nothingness.

As we reopen the menu and found our HQs right next to each other the two green outlines snap together and become one.

While my Level one looked like a base would... Hannah's Level one looked like a... workshop? Then again that would, could make sense...

After I agree with the placement and let go of my outline. Hannah checks again, we had both check that we are able to defend from all sides and we weren't found wanting, while the roof of her Workshop was unadorned with cover that is nothing for a few Guardsmen some dirt and bags couldn't fix.

She too lets go of her hand and we both get a pop up.

(Is this the area you want to Found your HQ? WARNING THIS DECISION IS FINAL!)

As we both nod and agree the message goes away... We waited for a few minutes.

BOOOM! What sounded akin to a sound barrier being not broken, no shattered...

Looked out east towards the origin, we saw a pair of shapes. But as the shapes got closer we could see that said shapes were a pair of Valkyries.

The Valkyries had our bases below them with wires.

And as the Bases were dropped onto the top of the hill we stood on... and it was just that, the Valkyries just showed up and dropped our bases and left...

.

We both looked at each other and entered our respective HQs...

It was made of low-grade Rockcrete, as I enter through the only door, the first room was built like a hard point incase the HQ was breached with a few firing positions, the next room the largest of the three rooms, it was the command room with a COMMs console sitting on one side of the rooms with a war table in the center with little wooded tokens sitting atop it.

Leaving the last room was an Armory/Barracks with both beds and racks for arms, and armor, leaving a ladder that lead to the roof.

As I looked around the last room and counted the beds and racks... eight beds and a dozen racks for both arms and armor... just a I was leaving I stopped and looked at the war table again... the map, the tokens upon it was only three. One was me with a 'J' under the token that was me, and 'H' for Hannah, and the third it was placed where the Village was the token had 'Civvy V' and out of interest I placed my hand on the map and tried to move it around, the map stayed perfectly still but what was show on the map moved as I moved it farther east until the Village wasn't visible the token moved it's self of the map but stayed on the west side of the table.

And as I moved the table around more the token moved to where it should be, but after fucking with it for a few more seconds I moved it back to where it started.

Leaving my HQ I wondered over to Hannah's HQ, it still looks like workshop.

It had two doors, one was for a person and the other was for a vehicle as it is about the size for a APC? Not a Chimera sized, maybe a Centaur?

Non the less I enter through the man sized door I saw Hannah was coming back up from a ladder.

"So how is it?" I asked.

"You first." She orders.

"Well from door to last room is, well the only door and after that is a hard point with several firing positions, following that was the command room with a communication console and after that was the barracks slash armory, and with that eight beds and about a dozen racks for arms and armor, you?"

"Well, this is one of the two repair and rearm bays with another below us, and there was two other rooms, one is a parts room and the only other was bed room, with about a dozen beds with nearly twice that in arms stations." She tells me.

As we both walked outside and looked at our HQs.

[You done?] The System asked.

We both nodded.

[Now there will be new stuff within Call reinforcement, should change that name... later]

[Call Reinforcements]

Req. Points; 30 :Available Power; 1/5 :Relic Points 0

(Upgrade HQ?) For 20 Req. Points you can upgrade the HQ too Level two.

• (Recruit?) Imperial Command Squad (0) Free

(Build Req. Station?) For 5 Req. Points will produce 15 in return for every 12 hours.

(Build Power Generator?) For 10 Req. Points will increase the Available Power by 3 points.

(Found a Imperial Guard Fieldworks?) For 25 Req. Points will allow you to produce lowest Imperial Guard unit the Imperial Guard Militiamen (8 per)

(HQ Level too low)

Mmm. Okay...

"Hannah what can you build?" I asked her.

She told me the same top three things along with her Command Squad, but she had different recruitment building as expected. It was the Machanicus version of my Guard Fieldworks it costing the same 25 Req. Points.

Interesting, the System father explained that our Req. Points are separate but our power is combined... original if we build separately we would only have two Available Power between us and informed us that Relic Points is something we wouldn't be able to touch for a time.

Anyway along side telling us about how our resources worked it informed us about our bases, and that while our HQs and Recruitment buildings can't be moved, for now. Req. Stations and Power Generators can be at anytime while Relic Points can never be moved at all, but can only be built in certain places.

"Well do you want to get the Guard and I'll upgrade my HQ. Fair?" Hannah offers.

"Mmm, System what other Units we can get?"

[Within what context?]

"Within what does Imperial Guard Fieldworks do at higher levels." I tell the damn thing.

[I can't tell you that at all, surprise Creators orders]

"Well that's no help, why do you say that thou? I go for guard... wait nevermind. I go for the guard and you try find the Titans right?" I said and was about to ask a redundant question to Hannah but stopped. 

"Yep."

I started walking halfway down the hill and placed down the Fieldworks which was a simple dug out with small wooden Bunker on top... seem a bit much for fieldworks...

After that I walked back up and built a Req. Station, it was a simple tower... very simple.

Looking to my right Hannah had her two towers but her HQ hadn't changed.

"So your HQ?" I asked.

"It will take nearly two days to upgrade..." She replies dejected.

"So we have both a cost and a phone based timers, right?"

I reopened the Menu and found that first unit I could get was free, and as I recruit both my Command Squad and the one free Guard Militiamen then this pop up appeared.

(Name your Imperial Guard Regiment?)

I name it the Terran Old Guard, I didn't know why but it felt right.

…

Over Emperor only knows lightyears away from the Planet they were on.

Holy Terra's Schola Progenium.

Within Minutes dozens of Students had (what Inquisitors would say after the fact) summoning circles appearing below them, and all the while the Students said the same thing over and over...

"The Emperor's Successor had chosen me." All the while a uniform of unknown make and color had appeared on them alongside weapons going missing from the Schola armory which too joined the now missing Students.

The Uniform was Green camo but it had a Blue armband stitched onto the upper arms with five stars (later identified as the Crux constellation) why this star... but as these once up standing Students and even some of the Teachers children were taken...

But what confused the Inquisitors was that these circles didn't effect them the same way Chaos does... 

What added to the confusion was that they had felt a comforting warmth, not to dissimilar a few Living Saints seemed to emit when they had appeared.

But one Question was on the Inquisitions, Scola Progenium and the High-lords asked, "Who is this Successor?" They all asked the Custodes, who never answered.