Fiction:Second Great Cyrannus War/The New Shadow: Part II - Shadow of the Crusades



 Second Great Cyrannus War: The New Shadow - Part II: Shadow of the Crusades 

I · II

 Chapter I: Unconfirmed Reports 

Shiplord sat in his command chair aboard the Harbinger of Truth, overlooking some of the latest campaign reports from. With the outbreak of the Republic-Imperial War, the had engaged in a battle on multiple fronts, be it the defence of the Republic from the Empire, against the rebellious Praesator  of the  or the whispers of a new faction led by Nequam on the outer reaches of Cognatus space. In the back of Thaur's mind, however, was the linguring threat of the, under the leadership of the crafty commander. After the War of Cleansing, Adamae's Cognatus had seemingly retreated from the galactic stage, to tend to their wounds inflicted since the fall of the.

Nevertheless, with unconfirmed reports of a Cognatus remnant active in the distant Plazith Rim, Thaur long suspected that his former comrades were planning a renewed crusade. As the Second Great War neared the end of its second year, he finally received the news he had feared for months. His second-in-command,, approached the command chair with an apprehensive expression etched on her face.


 * Anhknes: "Fleetlord. We have received reports that that have been attacked by vessels which seemingly match those utilised by the First Empire during the War of Many Stars."

Voro twitched his mandibles and looked over the datapad, which, true enough, detailed an attack on the outer Delphan colony of Umon'wor by an armada matching the description of the Lost Fleet, which had mysteriously vanished during the Plazithian Crusades.


 * Thaur: "Curious. Most curious. What does the Primarch command?"
 * Anhknes: "As he fights against the One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken, he cannot lend his fleets. Alas, we must face this threat alone."

Thaur nodded his head and rose from his command chair.


 * Thaur: "And yet face it we must. Never before has the Fleet of Majestic Integrity been defeated, and I do not plan for that to end today. Set a course for Umon'wor."

One by one, the ships of the Fleet of Majestic Integrity entered the New Republic-controlled wormhole into the Milky Way, and within a day of hyperspace travel, finally emerged in orbit over Umon'wor. The ships they encountered over the ruined planet really were of Cognatus design, matching those of the ships from the time of the Intergalactic War, though it did not take long for them to notice something was off about them; their surfaces appeared covered in dark-purple organic matter and they emitted a black fog from their engines, which partially hid them from sensors. Thaur narrowed his eyes, and as the enemy ships began approaching, he addressed his bridge crew and the other officers of the fleet.


 * Thaur: "What sorcery is this?! All ships, let your cannons roar!"

Leading the charge, the mighty Harbinger of Truth, a Melkón-class Dreadnought—the most powerful class of ship ever created by the Cognatus unleashed the full power of its forward cannons. Thaur watched the holoscreen closely, expecting the targetted enemy vessel to be immediately incinerated. However, as the beams of plasma impacted against its organic hull, it simply vanished, absorbed by the black fog. As it was struck, the dark mass appeared to squirm as massive tendrils erupted from its surface.


 * Anhknes: "Demons! There is no other explanation!"

At this moment, the bridge was taken by surprise as a purple portal materialized in its center, and from it leaped a Cogsangui; as he landed, they quickly realized he was not only greatly deformed, with massive bony spikes growing across his back and his claws growing to twice the normal size, but he was also rotting, his flesh and bone exposed in the joints of his armor, like an animated corpse.


 * Cogsangui: "Followers of the False Thirteenth... Your coming was foretold!"

Thaur and Ankhnes both activated their energy blades.


 * Ankhnes: "Demon filth, you sully the blood of ! My blade will end your miserable existence!"
 * Cogsangui: "Surrender to the might of, and we may yet show a bit of mercy!"

The demonic Cogsangui rushed at Ankhnes wth his own energy blade, attempting to strike at her. However, her superior skill prevailed as, with an overhead swing, she severed the invader in two diagonally. As his halves fell to the floor, he screeched;


 * Cogsangui: "Glory... to the Imperator!"

And then, his body slowly turned into dust, leaving only his charred armor behind. Distracted by the demon's presence on the bridge, Thaur was suddenly caught off-guard when a tendril bisected a nearby vessel and critically damaged another. It was clear to him that this was a battle that they could not win alone.


 * Thaur: "All ships, enter the void at once! We will return when we've gathered the fleets of our allies."

Ankhnes de-activated her blade and apporached the charred remains of the demon Cogsangui's armour.


 * Ankhnes: "Fleetlord, do you know who is this 'Imperator' it spoke of?"
 * Thaur: "I fear not. But I intend to find out."

 Chapter II: The Meeting of Minds 

In the aftermath of the attack in the Umon'wor System, Primarch Voro agreed to deploy additional forces to counter the threat posed by this new faction of Cognatus, which seemingly existed under the thrall of. A week after the battle, Fleetlord Thaur's forces awaited reinforcements at a designated rendezvous point several parsecs away from Umon'wor. The first ship to arrive was the Tythóran under the command of Commodore of the Cyrannian Republic, joined by a small corvette utilised by the, and carrying Master , one of the most revered masters of that Order. Thaur had heard rumours of this new force in the from his brothers and sisters on the frontlines of the war with the Empire, and was pleased to see that they had saw fit to aid them against the demon filth sullying the name 'Cognatus'. Reinforcements from the Borealis Galaxy took the form of Royal Captain of the, who was followed by a sizeable force of Battleships and Battlecruisers; having recently dealt with the Corruptus in their home, they would aid their Cognatus allies in the battle against the parasites on their former home galaxy, accompanied by the veteran Corruptus-slayer  - a name spoken in fear by cultists across the stars.


 * Vyutrin: "This is Royal Captain Vyutrin of the Draka Fang. High Command has received your call for aid and has sent us to deal with the Corruptus infestation. ... Damnable monsters are everywhere, I swear."
 * Hachiman: "Shinha Hachiman reporting. I've seen and dealt with worse things in Borealis. Nothing too difficult that I shouldn't be able to take care of, I don't think."
 * Vyutrin: "I was told you had become a capable soldier, but now I see you are as childish and abrasive as you were when we met! Overconfidence leads only to the road of defeat!"
 * Hachiman: "Oh, relax! I'm sure it's a sizable threat if the residents of Cyrannus called for our help. Don't think I'm not taking this seriously. I'm representing the Realm of Dreams, after all, and I gotta make sure I do things right around here. I'm hoping to avoid as many casualties as it took to initially quell the Corruptus in Borealis."
 * Monoud: "I simply hope that we can put an end to their interventions in the conflict. We've lost too many already to these vile demons, who could have otherwise proven useful in the war against the Empire."
 * Vyutrin: "Shiplord, I would ask for a status report. Tell us exactly what we're dealing with here."

Sitting on his throne on the bridge of the Harbinger of Truth, Thaur interacted with a holoscreen, and sent relevant information to each of the commanders gathered in the fleet.


 * Thaur: "I fought these demons on the bridge of my own ship, they are not to be underestimated. Not only are they embued with the dark powers of the Corruptus, but they have the skill of Cogsangui warriors. I suspect that they originated during the closing stages of the War of Many Stars, when a considerable battlefleet vanished from the skies above . While their vessels may appear old, they are far more powerful than they appear, for they too have been strenghtened by the black fog."
 * Vyutrin: "Cogsangui corrupted by the Nightmare... My kind and the provided support to the Allies during the war with the old Cognatus Empire. To imagine that but empowered even further..."
 * Hachiman: "Are the Cogsangui truly as terrifying as I've heard them to be? I've heard rumours that their kind can match even the likes of the Zazane in combat. Hmph, looks like this will be tougher than the regular cultists and soldiers I've gotten used to fighting."
 * Vyutrin: "We're dealing with an army of some of the finest warriors in the Gigaquadrant. And it seems the Nightmare has turned them... undead?"
 * Ankhnes Nar Monomai: "They dilute our blood with their corruption, yes. I cut one assunder, and yet it continued to attack. I have never seen such black sorcery."
 * Vyutrin: "The heaviest ordnance will be required. The only way to defeat the Corruptus is to employ overwhelming force and to rid them of their leader."
 * Thaur: "The warrior that Ankhnes killed, it spoke of an Imperator."

Master Nanuq scratched his chin.


 * Alinor Nanuq: "How curious. Neither the Corruptus or the Cognatus use such a title."
 * Hachiman: "I've never heard the Corruptus use it. You sure it's not an old term the Cognatus used before now?"
 * Alinor: "No, I have studied their history in great detail. Leaders are hailed for their abilities in war and granted titles such as Primarch and Warmaster. It is, however, possible that a rogue Cognatus fleetlord took the title upon himself when he allied with the demons."
 * Hachiman: "Sounds like we're dealing with something new and unpredictable on our hands, in that case. I would advise against approaching this "Imperator" directly: Corruptus leaders tend to be even more empowered by the Nightmare than their warriors."
 * Monoud: "Imperator is a title used by the ... which does not bode well to us, given the aftermath of the Borealis Front. The President has made an announcement about taking caution of a certain Basileus associated with the Corruptus."
 * Alinor: "Interesting. Master Rosalayne and the crew of the  spoke of the involvement of that dark Basileus. He would certainly fit the description of an Imperator allied to the Nightmare."
 * Vyutrin: "This means these infestations are linked somehow. We'll require especially heavy ordnance then. Perhaps capture some prisoners and make them talk. But mostly very heavy ordnance to blow the bastards to pieces."
 * Hachiman: "And I'll do my best to provide my powers to the cause. Conventional weaponry - barring heavy ordnance - won't do much to these things, but they'll find it difficult to recover and stand back up if I provide you with their bane. Dream energy."
 * Alinor: "I look forward to witnessing your skills. Master spoke highly of you during the campaign against the corrupted Dalek."
 * Hachiman: "Ah, Master Ryen. It means a lot to me that he'd speak such good things of me. I'll try not to disappoint."
 * Vyutrin: "We must make haste then. The Corruptus will spread like a disease if left unchecked, and who knows for how long these zombie demon Cognatus have been lurking this galaxy?"

 Chapter III: An Old Enemy Returns 

Soon after the meeting, the allied fleet prepared to depart the rendezvous point toward the Umon'wor system in the hopes of ascertaining the true extent of the threat. Were these Cognatus limited to a single fleet? Or had the dark shadow of the Corruptus extended over this unexplored region of the Milky Way? As he gazed at the void passing by the viewports on the bridge, Thaur recalled the history of the Umon'wor system, which had been the site of a massacre carried out by the Delpha Coalition of Planets in their efforts against the First Cognatus Empire, where they employed bioweapons to poison the population and deliver them a slow and painful demise. Now, the planet was inhabited by the undead, hateful remnants of the First Empire, turned into thralls of the Corruptus.

As the fleets arrived and prepared for battle, the Republic and Collective could see the full extent of the corruption; the ships of the enemy appeared old and badly cared for, though a significant part of their surface was covered in organic demonic mass, with glaring eyes, biting maws and squirming tentacles sprouting from it. It was a rather 'savage' display, as the Corruptus was not particularly known for employing this sort of spaceship disfiguration. Commodore Monoud was shocked, however, to find that the Corruptus were deploying not only corrupted Cognatus vessels, but also the distinctive profiles of Imperial warships.


 * Monoud: "This proves that the infestation in Borealis is linked! How else would they acquire Imperial ships?"
 * Vyutrin: "Oh, we're off to a great start, it seems. Prime your weapons and prepare for battle!"

At this moment, their screens displayed the image of an undead Cognatus soldier, who furiously yelled at them.


 * Corrupted Cogsangui: "Heretics! You have returned to be defeated again!"
 * Hachiman: "Go back to whatever hell you crawled out of!"
 * Corrupted Cogsangui: "No honour to the infidels! Show them the might of the True Cognatus!"

With this, the demonic fleet opened fire upon the allies. Dark tendrils of energy emerged from the Corruptus vessels, blackened turbolaser bolts replacing the resplendent green energy usually employed by Imperial ships. However, the allied fleet was prepared this time, and responded in kind, unleashing the full power of the armada upon the Corruptus vessels. Alongside Monoud on the Tythóran, Master Nanuq meditated on the battle, bolstering the allies and strengthening shields through the Light. Best equipped against the corrupted Imperial ships, Thaur's forces concentrated on bringing down the line of Imperial Destroyers harrassing the Collective and Republic fleets. To aid their allies, the Indoctrinate Collective had provided them with their Pseudothoi technology, built to replicate Dream Essence, which helped their weapons pierce the fleshy exterior of the demonified vessels. Captain Vyutrin ordered the bombardment of the enemy as his ships moved into the fray, demanding them be reduced to ashes.

Hachiman was not a naval expert by any means, yet he was not useless in the face of the armada of the dead. Those Corruptus vessels that either evaded or managed to withstand bombardment from the allied fleet would soon suffer the Dream Destined's wrath, his presence warping from one vessel to another as he used his powers - anathema to creatures born or twisted by the Nightmare - to purge their bridges and burn away the hearts of their crypto-organic ships. Master Nanuq bolstered the allies as their shield, while Hachiman struck at the enemy's heart as their sword.


 * Hachiman: "Witness your doom!"

Their combined efforts proved particularly effective compared to the Order of Cognalorilos' first attack; not only were they far more numerous, but the Light and the Dream Essence worked exceptionally well together, reducing the defenses of the fallen Cognatus to cinders as their ships begun to fall to them. As the battle ensued, however, the Harbinger of Truth was met with another transmission from the enemy, which forced itself into Shiplord Vicliquam's screens without his crew's input; it was not a mere undead this time however, but a much greater Cogsangui, his form obscured both by shadow and by a suit of impressive armor. His voice carried great weight while his eyes, visible under his helm, glowed a malign red colour.


 * ???: "Thaur Vicliquam... How unfortunate to learn you are not among my legion."

Thaur found the voice familiar, but could not place it.


 * Thaur: "You know my name, monster, but I do not know yours. Reveal yourself!"
 * ???: "Monster? This is not how you refer to your Imperial Warmaster, Shiplord."

Thaur's eyes widened.


 * Thaur: "... ?! I-impossible! Lies, deceit from the mouth of a demon!"

The Cogsangui laughed as he made his form clear to the Shiplord; his armor was far more grandiose than the one he wore during the Intergalactic War, and a large, bulbous Corruptus Heart erupted from his chest.


 * Xae Vandon: "You would be correct to assume I died. The darkness from beyond consumed us all. However, the Imperator has given me and my loyal subjects new life, and has shown me the true path to domination; the Thirteenth are false. There is only That Which Devours."
 * Thaur: "Your words are poison, Vandon! Dead or not, the Cognatus are forever free from your grasp. We follow a true lord, and under his guidance, not even your legions of deadmen can prevail!"
 * Xae Vandon: "You cling to a false hope. Surrender and kneel before the Corruptus, or we will have to take you by force. The coming of our glorious imperium cannot be stopped."
 * Hachiman: "... Friend of yours, Shiplord?"
 * Thaur: "He was the most feared Warmaster in our history, he who instigated the War of Many Stars, he whose power rests atop a mountain of innocent bones."
 * Hachiman: "Ah, great. That's news I like to hear."
 * Xae Vandon: "The Imperator will be particularly pleased when I deliver him the broken body of the Dreamy champion. You are the most revolting thing I have laid my eyes on since I discovered the Libertus."
 * Hachiman: "Seems to me that you haven't had the chance to look in a mirror since your Imperator brought you back."
 * Xae Vandon: "Heed my words, Thaur Vicliquam. All of our kind will soon return to its rightful owner: me. Those who oppose me will be butchered and raised from the dead to serve again. There is no escape."
 * Thaur: "No, you heed my words! Crawl back into the shadow you hid under for all these years, or I shall not rest until my blade pieces your blackened hide, and severs the head from your Basileus master's shoulders."
 * Xae Vandon: "You will regret this decision, "Shiplord"."

With this, the dark Warmaster's image faded from view as the Corruptus fleet, crippled by the combined power of the allies, begun retreating into hyperspace, securing their victory over the Umon'wor system.

Trivia

 * Written by, and.