Thanks to the wealth of dark knowledge harvested from Commoragh, our insight into Ork physiology was quite impressive. Coupled with my own meta knowledge, plans were well on the way to convert an uninhabited system into an elaborate trap.

 

Sending a ship to the system through the Warp was thankfully not too long, and with a beacon set up, I had our fleet sent over to patrol the vast space while the legion of Sentinels were redirected from their duties to devour this unnamed system instead. 

 

As the bots broke down asteroids and small moons, an Imperial-style (or more accurately Mechanicum-style) transmitter was placed on the surface of a barren world. It didn’t take much to get it to broadcast a whole lot of noise into space and the Warp. 

 

The idea was to mimic the patterns of an Imperial fortress world to lure the greenskins deeper into the system. Just to be safe, I broadcasted gunfire and cannonfire recordings into the void, along with angry supermutant yelling. If that all didn’t draw the hooligans in, nothing will.

 

While the trap was being set, I turned my attention to the glaring weakness this incoming invasion had revealed. A meeting was held in Research Complex Ix involving the brightest conventional and occult minds of the Nexus.

 

“Preliminary research suggests that a reliable inter-system listening post would be possible,” Dr. Madison Li summarized with a frown, “But considering power generation and computing needs, it’d best be built outside of Earth.”

 

“We’ll need an AI I’m guessing?”

 

My research advisor nodded curtly. “Probably several, if we want significant range, or have the data be processed in real time.”

 

“What about the Immaterium?” Piper asked, to which Curie gave a shrug.

 

“Far more unreliable, and impossible to automate effectively. At least not yet. We do not have a way for our machines to perceive into the so-called Warp reliably.” She then turned to give me an approving nod. “The stopgap of veiling our territories from the Immaterium would be the most practical course for now.”

 

Madison agreed a bit more reluctantly. “It’d require some amount of Tiberium, but far more doable than trying to sever each system from that dimension.”

 

Dr Onishi raised a hand to add in his thoughts. “Constructing deep space stations to redirect the Warp currents is also a viable idea, if somewhat…prohibitive in cost.”

 

“So Null Stations are possible?” I asked, feeling rather cheered up at having that research idea bearing fruit already.

 

“To an extent,” the old researcher replied. “We cannot consistently cut off or stem the metanatural currents, but with proper application, it should be possible to at least shunt the tides of the Immaterium to create some turbulence and make approaching our territories to be a daunting prospect.”

 

I’ll take that. I looked to Madison, and she sighed at my unasked question. “The science is solid enough, especially thanks to the breakthroughs from that alien you captured from Mars. But as Dr Onishi said, it’ll cost a lot.”

 

“How ‘a lot’ is a lot?”

 

“Not counting the conventional materials required to establish a perimeter of your Null Stations, just the Tiberium needed is nine times the Nexus’ existing stockpile.”

 

I couldn’t help grinning at that. “Only nine?”

 

The head researcher rolled her eyes. “We’ll also need you to do whatever it is you do to fully ward off the stations from degradation. Our solar system alone would need about…approximately a hundred and fifty thousand stations set at the orbit of Pluto. Assuming you want the added security of forcing them to drop into realspace at that range.”

 

I did, though having to build 150k stations to establish that cordon was… “How big would the stations be?”

 

Madison looked to her fellow researchers and they exchanged some intense muttering before she answered my question. “Smaller than Tupile, maybe two thirds the size.”

 

So cloning modules would still take a while. Meh.

 

“I guess we’ll have to settle for hiding ourselves from the Warp for now, and trust on our current weapons tech to fend off any strays that trespass.” The gathered scientists and occultists bobbed their heads in unhappy nods.

 

“Moving onto the next topic,” Madison said with a cough, “We’ve begun implementing some of the breakthroughs we’ve studied from…Terra.” Her face scrunched up as she used the ‘other’ name for that alternate Earth. “So far updating them to our existing technologies seems on track for general use. The more…esoteric things like atomic destabilizers and ‘living’ fire are effective, but a bit too novel to be given a niche in the Nexus. Not to mention the safeties required to store and use them would be resource intensive.”

 

That was about to be expected. The Nexus already had an effective armory of far more reliable gear. No point in adopting adrathic or phosphex weapons when our plasma and lasers are more than good enough for the job.

 

“How much use are we getting out of the Imperium’s tech?” I asked, and the researchers all took a few seconds to mutter amongst themselves and look at their notes. 

 

In the end, Madison just shrugged. “So far, no more than 40% of it has found a place with the Nexus. That’s discounting the fragmentary data. Most of their ‘tech branches’, as you put it, are not worth exploring simply because they’re obsolete by our standards. Particularly their exotic energy generation, weapons and armor. Their use of exotic materials might be of some interest, but only from an academic standpoint; our current imbued metals, even the aluminum, has far better durability and tolerances than ceramite and auramite.”

 

So, we’re well ahead of the tech game in general. The only part we might lose out to the Imperium is their use of genehancing. Seeing the results of 1st Company against the golden Custodes though, I don’t think it’s that much of a disadvantage. Plus, sticking to ‘baseline’ humans would give the Nexus something not-so-subtly stick to the Imperium.

 

‘We aren’t that desperate that we need to tamper with our people’s humanity. Vote Nexus.’

 

Or something like that.

 

Shaking away the distracting thoughts, I returned to the meeting at hand. “So, with Imperial tech over with, what’s the Eldar stuff like?”

 

*****

 

As he had over the past week, Edward paid careful attention to the hologram of the still-unnamed sacrificial system. He was one of the few souls on the lifeless planet, keeping an eye out for any surprises. A teleporter ensured that the small team would not be cut off from the Nexus, and allowed for constant resupply while they waited for the enemy to come.

 

Supposedly, the aliens they were about to face were battle-hungry, reckless, ingenious, and practically fearless. The first characteristic was what Sev counted on right now, and judging from the data leeched from the Terran listening post, the first wave of Orks were just barely within their travel schedule. 

 

The nonsensical broadcast in the oversized transmission tower only recently built and activated had caused their advance to pick up speed, so much so that the metaphysical bow wave of the massive horde could be picked out by the robot scouts floating in the Immaterium. That same wave obscured the finer details of the approaching invaders, badly fuzzing out the details of their numbers and composition.

 

Worse, due to the nature of that metaphysical plane, estimates of the aliens’ invasion ranged from four days to four years. Unfortunately, the Nexus did not yet have any practical means to stabilize the chronal associations between reality and the Warp. Piecing together the rules of that tumultuous metanatural realm was a figurative headache for the occultists back in Vault Gesserit, even with the information provided by the Eldar race.

 

Edward hoped the Orks would come soon. Being stuck in armor in a desolate and airless outpost was not how he or his friends liked spending his time as a Sev’s trusted elite. The faster the aliens came, the faster they could get this over with and the less time he had to spend on a lifeless rock staring diligently at the sensor stream.

 

The Sentinels were making good progress in hauling or grinding away the asteroids and small moons, which would soon leave only two gas giants and this lonely, sad rock occupying this region of space. The surface of his bait planet would remain untouched, save for the transmitter, the system-wide sensor, and of course the outpost. There was no point building killzones, traps or decoys when the plans did not call for any defense on this planet.

 

Thankfully, just as Edward was about to switch out with Sylvie, a loud ping stabbed into his ear. The hologram created a rash of dots, which quickly turned red as the sensors began processing the identities of the arrivals.

 

The commander of the 1st did not have to wait for the computer’s results. He was sure it was the much awaited aliens, but just to be safe, Edward sent a ping to the Nexus network. “Unidentified trespassers detected. Requesting their identification.”

 

“Acknowledged,” came the prompt answer of the newer AI, Adama. “Receiving coordinates. Sending scouts now.”

 

A glance to the hologram showed the sudden appearance of three Nexus destroyers near the planet’s orbit, around where a teleport beacon floated. The squadron quickly powered up and began a series of short-ranged teleports, ‘blinking’ their way out to the edge of the system.

 

“Receiving information…” the eldest of the ship AI siblings reported. “Preliminary scans show signatures matching the Commoragh and Imperium archives of the Ork alien species. Forwarding information to Nexus command; initiating first phase of Operation Shroom-Doom.”

 

Edward grinned eagerly at the confirmation while more Nexus signatures started appearing, even as the red rash grew at the edges of the display. “Thanks. Hope the proper space fight is fun for you and your family.”

 

“The sentiment is appreciated, 1st Company Commander Edward.” There was a short pause, and then it sounded like the AI was rather pleased. “Potential enemy flagships marked. Potential targets of interests marked.”

 

“Thanks,” Edward repeated, and then called out to his comrades to evacuate the outpost. 

 

They returned to Tupile’s teleport chamber to find the station bustling with activity. Various companies were being mustered, while the last of the Nexus’ ships blinked their way over to the other system. Edward hurried over to another, much larger teleport hall where the rest of 1st Company slowly streamed in, along with 2nd Company. The soldiers of the Nexus congregated and waited, sitting on benches at the edges of the room as they awaited the signal to commence a teleport assault.

 

Edward did not mind this kind of wait. The anticipation felt more solid, and the promise of doing something was far more tangible.

 

A pack of the Nexus’ newest citizens joined in. Lelith led her fellow Eldar warriors, all of them protected by newer, more practical Sardaukar armor. They wielded plasma pistols and Tiberium-edged weapons, which included exotic-looking serrated spears, spiked gauntlets and bladed whips. A couple of them even had barbed nets for some reason.

 

Well, to each their own. Considering that the 1st preferred close-ranged fighting instead of the more logical use of rifles and other long ranged firepower, Edward could not really judge the aliens.

 

Lelith quickly noticed him and casually stalked over, giving an eerily smooth bow. “Greetings, commander. Our blades are yours to command.”

 

Edward gave a friendly nod at Sev’s newest devotee. “Lelith. As we’ve gone over before, we’ll have to wait for the ships to give us targets worth fighting over.”

 

“There will be plenty of the Orkead for us,” the alien promised with a hungry grin. “I am sure we will not be wanting in targets.”

 

Seeing how the Eldar race was supposed to be an ancient and well-learned one (even with their civilization’s collapse), Edward didn’t much doubt her words. Besides, Sev had turned her, so she was just as reliable as anyone else in the Nexus ruler’s circle of devoted fucktoys.

 

It took almost an hour of waiting before the chime from the Tupile’s teleport halls echoed throughout the station.

 

“Well, here’s to hoping they’re as fun as everyone says they are,” Edward said as he mustered his company and prepared to violently meet a new alien race.