Khasatus, an important agricultural world in the Sorrow System.
But unlike the highly specialized agricultural world dominated by the Mechanicus, Khasatus also functions as part of the garden world. It maintains a large number of pastoral small agricultural lands and noble manors, which are only simple to use.
The yeoman farmers who use mechanical farming are used on the one hand as a place for some hive nobles to "experience" life, and on the other hand as a retirement home for some retired officers who do not want to return to the hive city.
Therefore, although there is a city in Khasatus, it is not a three-dimensional city like a nest city, but a flat city closer to the classical style. The city is not only clean and tidy, but also has very complete public services and transportation, and most of the buildings are decorated with ancient charm.
The city is dominated by brick buildings and various castle towers, the commercial streets are dotted with a large number of neon lights, and the outskirts of the city are filled with lush forests, dotted with farmland, windmills and grasslands.
To be lucky enough to be born in such a world, in a sense, one has surpassed 99% of the people in the Empire.
But on this day, the tranquility of this world was broken.
The terrible midnight has arrived!
A strange warship suddenly appeared near Khasatus. It did not jump through the subspace, which would be discovered by the Imperial Navy's monitoring station. In fact, it used a shadowy sorcery to disguise itself.
Like a cunning predator, it avoided every possible spot of the naval patrol and sliced through the curtain like a serrated knife.
The hull of this cruiser is blue, but so deep that it is almost black. There is no trace of decoration or loyalty, only a pale skull with blood-colored lightning patterns on it.
In a way, it's almost a physical shadow, just like its crew.
Alvarez looked out of the observation window at the world waiting to be harvested not far away. The flickering holographic report covered his dark features in the network of light and shadow, but his eyes were unchanging black spheres.
Watching intently, while mentally assessing the prospects of this harvest.
Their decks were filled with harvests from that world before. Those slaves were harvests that they might not have gotten even if they had been wandering for several years in other places, but they could easily do so here.
The Maelstrom is a great place, but it's a pity that it's occupied by weaklings like the Red Pirates.
"Master, the night ritual is ready."
These words were hissed with a discordant echo, and Alvarez frowned and turned to the thing lingering next to the command throne on the bridge, a Chaos Wizard, the guy who made the sound.
There is a huge shadow sitting on the throne. No one can see clearly what is inside, but the fear and cruelty it brings envelopes everyone on the bridge, including those squatting high and occasionally licking their claws as if
A mutated raptor that has completely degenerated into a beast.
Alvarez is a new blood and the only one who can be called "normal" in the war gang at present. Therefore, he is responsible for most of the daily work, organization and logistics. His master and brothers are only addicted to killing.
It probably won't take long before he will become just like them.
Looking around, this place is more like a slaughterhouse than a bridge. Hundreds of skinned corpses were pierced by iron hooks through the shoulders and hung from the ceiling by chains. They were all women because their eyelids were cut off.
Worthy of their pale, bloodshot eyes bulging outwards, every one of them is still alive, their intermittent moans of pain constitute a strange noise, and parts of their chests have been violently removed.
His master was once attacked by the Pseudo-Emperor Sisters and was almost banished back to the subspace. From then on, the monster particularly hated women.
The excised parts of women were placed on the tray next to its throne, like bloody desserts. From time to time, they were rolled into the invisible mouth by the long tongues protruding from the shadows, and they laughed happily while chewing.
Voice.
Alvarez, who had only entered service a century ago, had always looked at it as an outsider, but it still made him sick and reminded him of things before he became the Night Lord...
.
He likes to read some of the remaining classics and stories of the former legions. He is deeply attracted by the heroes described in the desperate expeditions. The primarch taught them what fear is, and the Prince of Crows faced the invincible across the battlefield, deciding the fate of the old legions.
The Council of Nightbats…
Although it could not be called unity at that time, their lives at least had a goal, and they were not just like now, floating randomly in the vast galaxy like a ball of debris.
The Red Pirates are certainly weak, but at least they know what they are going to do.
Alvarez could not imagine an alternative to becoming a raptor caught in the same warp madness as his brothers.
Although its master claimed the inheritance of the Eighth Legion, its behavior told everyone that it had long been a member of the Warp. Dark shadows completely obscured its form and it lacked anything that could be recognized as human.
.
For example, soul...
"Those pathetic Death Watch thought this was a trap."
A mocking voice sounded from the shadows.
"But that will be their own trap."
Alvarez's attention had returned to the holographic screen. After a while, the wizard beside his master drifted away, and then the shadow spread on the bridge.
Change source app]
"Let the hunting begin!"
Soon, shadows from the Invisible Realm began to spread across the skies of Khasatus, as wizard rituals and vast amounts of blood were consecrated to the Warp.
The astropaths screamed and fainted, muttering nonsense about claws and blood. The planet's communications were cut off. No one knew what happened, but the poor guards on the planet were quickly mobilized and concentrated on the city.
.
When the stars are completely blocked, midnight falls.
Alvarez had now left the bridge and was in an assault bay, with his armored brother, and he could feel the ship's uneasiness, reading its emotions in every nuance of its flight:
The erratic pulse of the thrusters, the lethargy of the stabilizers, even the flickering of the lights...
The ancient machine spirit was uneasy, as it was every time they hunted, it was a wary beast, but Alvarez had faith in it.
Yes, Alvarez is not only a Night Lord, he is also a technical sergeant. As the only technical sergeant in this warband, after his predecessor died in a maintenance accident, he took over as an apprentice while he was still an apprentice.
Responsibilities.
But Alvarez knew very well that his mentor's death was not an accident, but a murder, caused by a master who had grown distrustful of his mentor.
It is a fickle creature. When it thinks something may threaten itself, killing will follow.
Alvarez took over this position, which meant that he was not too far away from death. At least he could no longer stay on the ship and had to follow the rest of the warband to fight on the ground.
In the dim assault cabin, Alvarez's eyes were hidden under his helmet, and the mechanical arm on the power backpack was gently swinging back and forth, making final adjustments. The warband had three Thunderhawks, but unfortunately one of them was temporarily disabled due to improper use.
Used, the remaining two cannot carry everyone, so the higher-status one takes the Thunderhawk, and the lower-status one takes the assault module.