Terra Aeterna: The Rise of Humanity's War Machine

Capital Terra Aeterna - Golden Gothic Palace, High Council Chamber of the Imperium Caelestis

In the heart of the throne world, beneath vaulted ceilings adorned with aurum imperialis and upheld by towering adamantium pillars, the most powerful figures of the Imperium Caelestis gathered around a long obsidian table. Dozens of plasma chandeliers bathed the room in a stark, holy light-illuminating faces carved by history, and stained by betrayal.

At the center of the chamber, seated upon a throne-like chair forged from void-black steel and bound with psi-sigils, Emperor Mankind Kenthelion opened the council session with a calm, resonant voice that echoed with solemn authority.

Kenthelion

> "Let us begin."

On either side of him sat the titans of the Empire's might and madness:

Governor Wilhuff Tarkin, relic of the Galactic Empire's iron will.

Kylo Ren, the volatile cipher of light and darkness.

Cardinal Bucharis, a survivor of heresies long thought purged.

Archmagos Kelbor-Hal, high voice of the Adeptus Mechanicus, encased in twitching chrome.

And Primarch Angron, the chained berserker, seething in restrained fury.

Seated at the flanks were high-ranking officers of the Astra Militarum, including Commander Jarran Kell, Castellan Creed's right hand. Other notable figures-Jim Raynor, Alexei Stukov, General Wallfield, Lord Speyer, and even Castellan Creed himself-were absent, locked in ongoing military operations far beyond the core sectors of Terra Aeterna.

Kenthelion's gaze swept across the table. Though his expression remained composed-stoic, as befit the Emperor of Mankind-his mind seethed beneath the surface.

> "Damn it... half this table is made up of legendary traitors from Warhammer and Star Wars,"

he muttered to himself in the quiet of his psychic core, exhaling a slow breath that touched no air.

His eyes narrowed slightly as they landed on Cardinal Bucharis-a man who, in a previous lifetime, had declared himself the true embodiment of the Emperor and butchered millions in holy fire.

> "That man... once called himself me. Now I'm forced to share a table with him. The universe has a twisted sense of humor."

To keep Bucharis in check, Kenthelion had taken no chances. He assigned Primarch Angron to watch him-an unstable, monstrous guardian, yes, but one guaranteed to keep the Cardinal from trying anything... ambitious.

A dangerous pairing.

But an effective one.

---

Commander Jarran Kell rose from his seat, bowed with martial precision, and reported in a firm, steady voice:

> "By the grace of the Great Emperor, we have secured the Zaraphari Sector. Troops are prepared to face the incoming Xenos waves. However... complications have arisen regarding the handling of alien prisoners and non-combatant civilian populations. Standard execution protocols are slowing down operations and lowering troop morale."

Seeing the troubled Astra Militarum officer before him, Kenthelion eased his psychic pressure-just slightly.

He paused for a moment, then continued, his tone growing heavier:

> "Several commanders are considering invoking mass elimination protocols under Codex Bellum-specifically via direct artillery bombardment. Others propose a full steel-cross formation sweep with Leman Russ tanks for total clearance."

From across the table, Archmagos Kelbor-Hal-sitting stiff and statuesque like a machine-etched idol-turned his glowing red optics toward Kell. His voice was cold, logical, and utterly devoid of mercy:

> "Xenos extermination falls under the Canticles of Cleansing, Article Three. Emotional fatigue suggests biometrical imbalance. Cybernetic correction is highly recommended to maintain optimal combat efficiency."

On the opposite end of the table, Angron merely grinned. His bloodthirsty aura seeped into the room, feeding off the rising tension with sadistic delight.

Governor Tarkin interjected in his trademark imperial bureaucrat tone, voice dry as desert bone:

> "The Death Star should be sufficient to deal with them. Absolute efficiency. One shot-one planet."

The room fell tense. Kelbor-Hal's mechanical neck swiveled toward Tarkin with a grinding click that carried threat in every decibel.

Archmagos Kelbor-Hal

> "Do you truly regard the Instrumentum Exterminatus-that holy machine of divine judgment-as some cosmic broom, Governor? By the Everlasting Emperor and the Omnissiah Himself, that is heresy of the highest order! Were it not for your bureaucratic standing, I would have already reduced you to a servo-skull and dedicated your remains to the Eternal Engine as a cautionary relic!"

Tarkin, unfazed, responded with cool indifference:

Wilhuff Tarkin

> "My only concern is efficiency. Surely that is a virtue your doctrine holds in high esteem, is it not?"

Kelbor-Hal nearly rose from his seat. His mechanical fingers began to glow faintly-early signs of Purification Protocol activation.

> "Omnissiah Most Wise... grant Thy servant firmware of patience... lest I purge this biological absurdity before me."

Immediately, Skitarii enforcers and Imperial Naval Guards surged forward, stepping between the two with well-practiced swiftness. This wasn't the first time the Adeptus Mechanicus and Imperial Navy had clashed. Previous arguments had ranged from the placement of mechanicus chapels aboard Star Destroyers to whether the double-headed Aquila could be officially tattooed onto heavy blaster casings.

In the midst of the chaos, Kenthelion remained seated, expression calm, though a long psychic sigh escaped him.

> "Fanatical tech-priests, fascist officials, half-redeemed Sith, and genetically enhanced war-monsters... Who needs enemies when your allies are this delightful?"

But deep down, he understood-

This was the price of a cross-universal Imperium.

And it was the only way to defend mankind from the alien tides now crashing against the stars.

Archmagos Kelbor-Hal

"With full devotion to the Omnissiah and in accordance with the Will of the Divine Machine, I hereby present the Exterminatus proposal: activation of the bio-eradication vector Vita-Terminus Virus to purge the unclean xenos from the life matrix. May their binary pulse cease forever, in the name of the Imperator."

Kenthelion

"Virus Bomb? Life-Eater Virus?"

Kenthelion's interest sparked instantly. He leaned forward, eager for the next details.

Archmagos Kelbor-Hal

"Verification complete. Ballistic projections estimate a requirement of 7.2×10⁸ kinetic ammunition units, or approximately 4.6×10⁷ macro-artillery projectiles, to eliminate the xenos population on a planetary scale. However, logic does not merely demand victory-it demands efficiency."

"The Munitorum's logistical systems will be pushed to their limits, and Medicae columns report significant psycho-emotional degradation in organic human subjects after prolonged conventional conflict exposure. Conclusion: an alternative solution-one of absolute efficiency and minimal disruption to humanity's material and mental distribution networks-is most viable. Exterminatus through biological agents remains the optimal vector."

Archmagos Kelbor-Hal (continuing)

"A strategic proposal has been formulated: the construction of macro-waste transfer facilities at the Tribunal excavation site-a historically identified nexus of organic and xenos detritus accumulation. These subjects have long been an acknowledged anomaly, yet neglected in many purification litanies."

"With the Omnissiah's blessing and in pursuit of supreme efficiency, I recommend activating Vita-Terminus Protocol-atmospheric disruption via dispersal of Virus Bombs, sub-type Life-Eater. The xenos will undergo complete biological deconstruction in seconds. Their remains will then be harvested and converted through thermal incineration: Titan-Forge class incinerators. Purity attained. Interference eliminated. Systems cleansed."

Kenthelion

"Then why not proceed directly to incineration? Such a procedure would conserve both time and plasma energy. Efficiency is the highest form of piety."

-His voice cut through the sacred silence like a decree from Terra itself.

Archmagos Kelbor-Hal

"Statement verified. Strategic variables within my algorithm require iterative enhancement. I shall revise subroutines accordingly... in pursuit of logical clarity and the Will of the Omnissiah."

Kenthelion, Deus Imperatoris

"Enough. Extermination via Virus Bomb-the Life-Eater purification agent-is a noble strategy. The xenos biomass still holds residual conversion value. We will refine it. Atom by atom."

Archmagos Kelbor-Hal

"As you command, Your Excellency. I have designed a prototype bio-logistical vehicle: a macro-transport unit capable of ingesting one thousand xenos entities per consumption cycle."

Kenthelion

(The Emperor studied the schematics with an analytical gaze; the light gleamed coldly across his lenses. He shook his head slowly.)

"Negative. Stay on course. Death through the Life-Eater agent is chemical purity incarnate. However, their biological remnants contain usable residue. We will exploit it-entirely."

Kenthelion

"I want Virus Bomb production facilities in modular format. Vector trains with execution units at the tip. Target output: one alien per minute-or more, if pressure permits."

Archmagos Kelbor-Hal

"Order received and encoded. Servo-drones and mechanic thralls shall be allocated for immediate implementation."

Kenthelion

"But that alone will not suffice. The procedure rate still lags behind the expected curve. We are facing hundreds of millions... perhaps more."

Kenthelion

"Activate the mass combat training initiative. Open more xenos-shooting academies across the Imperium Caelestis. Every academy. Every institution. Let the next generation of mankind learn the art of alien-killing from primary education onward."

Kenthelion (after a pause, his voice chillingly calm)

"And... their tender, delicious flesh? Distribute it. Convert it into nutrients. No molecule must be wasted."

Archmagos Kelbor-Hal

"Understood and sanctified in sacred coding, Your Excellency. The Litany of Consumption shall commence at once."

Kenthelion

"Security efficiency can no longer be supported by inferior materials like wood or plastika polymers.

From this moment forward, all training targets under the Ministry of Justice's jurisdiction must be replaced.

Use xenos bodies. They shall become the new foundation of mankind's strength.

Every bullet we fire must pass through enemy flesh."

Cardinal Bucharis (rising, presenting the schematics in a ritualistic manner)

"Your Excellency, I bring divine inspiration made manifest through sacred design.

Proposal: biometric classification of captured xenos.

The strong and resilient-subject them to controlled gasification.

The weak and non-functional-directly to the incinerators. A tiered cleansing protocol."

Cardinal Bucharis (continuing):

"Their remains can be repurposed.

Bone and hardened tissue-integrated into mechanical components.

Internal organs-analyzed by the Medicae Division for extraction of bioactive compounds.

We shall build tools from their corpses."

Kenthelion:

"Perfect. A proposal of divine clarity.

An industrial slaughter assembly line: a sanctified path toward mankind's ascension."

Kenthelion:

"Wise Archmagos Kelbor-Hal, provide the calculation.

At our current rate, what is the estimated quantity of xenos that can be eliminated within a single Terran cycle?"

Archmagos Kelbor-Hal (voice distorted in binary, saturated with machine-will)

"Our production units are capable of manufacturing 3,000 vector-extermination vehicles.

Each unit processes an average of five xenos subjects per Terran day.

Annual projection: ≈18,250,000 xenos entities eliminated.

This figure excludes the yield from incinerative processes following gasification.

Maximum potential... still undergoing optimization."

Kenthelion:

"Accelerate the production cycle.

And... the ash from combustion-if compressed into granular structures-

can be repurposed.

Disperse it across agri-sectors.

Let the fields of mankind be fertilized with alien remains.

Not a single molecule shall go to waste."

(A sudden silence gripped the chamber. The scent of ozone and scorched metal lingered faintly in the air.

Emperor Kenthelion raised a chalice inlaid with the twin-headed aquila, his eyes aglow with unwavering resolve.)

Kenthelion:

"The children of tomorrow will not have our resolve.

So we must forge a world for them-

A world purged of biological error.

A world of only mankind.

Under one faith.

One code.

One dominion."

(And with the smile borne only by those who had severed history

and rewritten the future in ink made from blood,

the leaders of humanity laughed.

As they signed the death warrant for billions of aliens yet unborn.)