In a small villa decorated with a touch of Terra's Baroque style, yet possessing the simple practicality characteristic of a colonial outpost.
Fu Qinghai, clad in simple attire, sat on a brown-red classical sofa while a Servant poured him a cup of black tea.
“So, Little Locke, you came to see me about that Starship as well?” Sitting opposite Fu Qinghai was Calvin, a middle-aged man with brown hair wearing a loose Imperial Official uniform. His stubbled face was etched with fatigue as he leaned back listlessly on the sofa, crossing his legs, sizing up Fu Qinghai before him.
“Yes, the deaths of Cedric and the others have spread throughout the outpost; I assume you already know, Lord,” Fu Qinghai looked directly at Calvin. “I want to know what was inside that Starship, Lord Calvin?”
“What was inside…” Calvin picked up the bottle and took a sip. “I don’t know how to describe it… Little Locke, have you ever witnessed a battle between Angels?”
Calvin stared fixedly at the coffee table, his gaze unfocused, his facial expression a mixture of dread and helplessness. “Those Angels you look up to, those demigods walking among Mortals, the Imperium’s invincible guardians—can they also fall, betray? Can they also turn on each other? By the Throne, I have never witnessed such… such…”
Then, he gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Heh, well, why am I telling this to a kid like you who grew up in the slums?”
“Someone survived inside, didn’t they?” Fu Qinghai ignored Calvin’s rambling and asked directly.
“Yes, you are right, someone survived.” Calvin grabbed the bottle and took another deep swig, as if only alcohol could soothe his shattered worldview. “I’ve thought about it. When everything is over, someone will come to the outpost. We just wait. Whoever it is, they will rule this outpost, or perhaps destroy it. Who knows.”
Calvin waved his hand tiredly. “That’s not your concern, Little Locke. Coming to Cheslatan must be the first time in your lifetime you’ve felt direct Star light, right? Enjoy it, keep eating the outpost’s free rations, and stay away from that Starship.”
“That is my final piece of advice to you.”
Calvin was right. Locke, having lived in the Lower Hive, had only ever known artificial lighting provided by the Hive’s Electrician Guild; he had never experienced what it was like to be illuminated by Star light.
“Cedric… what does it matter, just a bunch of ignorant lower Hive insects…” Calvin muttered, sounding somewhat intoxicated.
“Understood, Lord. I shall take my leave.” Having obtained the Information he sought, Fu Qinghai said no more and politely rose to depart.
Outside the villa door, Feiyi leaned against a Jetbike waiting for Fu Qinghai. Her pair of long, straight legs were striking. Seeing Fu Qinghai emerge, she quickly asked:
“How was it, Alo? What did Calvin say? Did he tell you anything?”
“He said nothing,” Fu Qinghai’s expression was serious as he mounted the bike. “But that’s practically saying everything.”
…………
The dim yellow light cast long black shadows of the room’s furnishings against the ochre concrete walls.
This was a three-bedroom, one-living room, one-kitchen, one-bathroom house, much larger than Fu Qinghai’s single-person dwelling—it was Feiyi’s home.
Feiyi’s parents had left her some inheritance after they passed away from illness.
This included the house with a small attic, a Leviathan Whirlwind-V model small Jetbike, some furniture and appliances, a pile of sampling and analysis equipment, and a stack of Alien Planet botanical data, among other things.
It wasn't poverty; it was much better than Fu Qinghai, a pure proletarian, since even that single-person dwelling wasn't his private property, merely assigned to him by the colonial outpost.
The night on the colonial outpost was dry and cool. In the kitchen, Feiyi wore one of her mother’s grey linen slip dresses, diligently slicing a plate of Cheslatan alien fruit, resembling a virtuous little wife. The dress hung slightly loose on her slender shoulders, the nascent outline of her chest subtly defining the dress, and a hint of pale white visible beneath her slender arms lent a touch of allure to the quiet room.
Fu Qinghai had no mind to appreciate the scene. He leaned against the sofa, sitting cross-legged on the living room carpet, frowning in thought, weighing the pros and cons.
One thing he was almost certain of: the crashed Starship was not just a Warship; there were Astartes aboard!
Calvin was an Administrative Official from the Departmento Munitorum attached to the Expeditionary Fleet, not some unsophisticated Hive Civilian.
Lazlo could call any terrifying thing he couldn't comprehend a "Daemon," but the only beings Calvin would refer to as "Angels" were one kind—
Space Marines.
These transhuman soldier organisms, developed by the Emperor based on the twenty Primarchs, also known as Adeptus Astartes, were gigantic, infinitely strong, fearless in battle, masters of killing arts, and extremely formidable in combat. They were the Emperor’s reliance for unifying Terra and subsequently launching the Great Crusade to reclaim humanity’s former colonies across the Galaxy.
They were also the true protagonists of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe.
For the entire preceding millennium, the Great Crusade was the main theme for the Imperium of Man and indeed the entire Galaxy. The supreme leader of the Imperium of Man—the Emperor—led the Space Marine Legions he personally forged. Departing from Holy Terra, utilizing Warp Travel technology, they steadfastly advanced toward the former human colonies lost during the Age of Strife in the Galaxy, reclaiming planets once under the rule of Sol System humanity while simultaneously searching for the Primarchs scattered across the Galaxy by the powers of the Warp, integrating them into the Space Marine Legions built upon their respective Gene-seed blueprints.
And now, if the timers on the colonial outpost hadn't been thrown into disarray by the Warp Storm interference, the era Fu Qinghai inhabited was that of the Horus Heresy. The Emperor had achieved most of the Great Crusade's set objectives, promoting his closest Primarch, Horus Lupercal, to Warmaster, tasking him with commanding all other Space Marine Legions and the Expeditionary Fleet to continue the Great Crusade, while the Emperor himself returned to Terra to sequester himself in the basement of the Imperial Palace to research his secret projects. In the subsequent chain of events, Warmaster Horus, gradually corrupted by the Chaos Gods of the Warp, ultimately launched a Rebellion against the Emperor, plunging the entire Galaxy into fire and chaos.
Loyalty and betrayal, rebellion and quelling rebellions—these were the themes of this age.
Fu Qinghai, whether willingly or by force, would be swept into this human catastrophe, unable to remain aloof—the crash of a Warship carrying Space Marines on Cheslatan was clear proof of this.
Proof that this war, where human brains fought to the point of mush, had even reached the obscure colonial planet of Cheslatan.
“Alo, come eat.” Feiyi placed a plate of strangely shaped, purplish-red sliced fruit on the coffee table in front of Fu Qinghai, then sat down on the carpet, mimicking Fu Qinghai by bringing her legs together.
Fu Qinghai picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. The taste was somewhat like passion fruit from his past life on Earth, with a faint, strange fishy aftertaste.
Fu Qinghai suspected Feiyi might have served him some of the alien plants her parents had cultivated for research.
“I know what’s on that Starship, Feiyi,” Fu Qinghai said calmly.
“What is it?” Feiyi leaned next to Fu Qinghai, nibbling on the fruit, seemingly unconcerned by the question.
“Space Marines. Do you know about Space Marines?”
“Of course I know. I heard about them before I came here—legendary, peerless warriors, the Emperor’s Superman Soldiers, the guardians of the Imperium.” Feiyi rattled off a string of adjectives casually, then gave Fu Qinghai a strange look. “Don’t treat me like some country girl who’s never seen the world, you’re the one from the Lower Hive.”
Space Marines were household names within the Imperium. They were the Emperor’s leverage for unifying Terra and the main force of the Great Crusade. Although famous, very few ordinary people, aside from the Imperial Auxilia who fought alongside them, had ever seen a real Space Marine. The impression most Imperial citizens held of the Space Marines was largely confined to legend.
After all, considering the Imperium’s vast population base and standing military strength, the number of Space Marines was small; they were the elite of the elite.
Fu Qinghai ignored Feiyi’s complain, continuing, “I suspect the Space Marines on that Starship are fighting each other.”
“Oh?” Feiyi finally showed interest. “Why would they fight each other? Did Calvin tell you that?”
“Calvin didn’t say anything; I deduced it from his words.” Fu Qinghai pursed his lips. “Calvin is in a terrible emotional state right now; he’s very negative. He probably never witnessed two squads of Space Marines fighting to the death before. This matter has impacted him greatly. He hasn't received any Information from Terra or the Expeditionary Fleet for a long time, so he can’t make a Judgment. He has decided to leave the fate of the colonial outpost to the victor of the battle.”
“Whoever wins.”
“Then how did you deduce it, Alo?” Feiyi turned and grasped Fu Qinghai’s arm, her pair of bright blue, beautiful eyes fixed on him.
For some reason, even though the colony’s Administrator, who possessed the most Information and knowledge, couldn't make a decision, Feiyi inexplicably trusted Fu Qinghai, this poor kid from the Lower Hive.
“I don’t know either,” Fu Qinghai took a deep breath. “But I’ve decided to go to the Starship crash site to take a look.”
“Ah? Don’t go! Why do you have to go? Didn’t you see what happened to Cedric and his group?” Feiyi became anxious upon hearing this, simultaneously reaching out to touch Fu Qinghai’s forehead.
Fu Qinghai pushed Feiyi’s hand away. “I know, but I still have to go. I need to figure out exactly what happened. I can’t hand my fate over to others and just sit at home praying, leaving it to fate.”
The superstitious religious texts like the Imperial Edicts, which were secretly circulating within the Expeditionary Fleet, seemed not to have reached this remote colonial outpost yet. Now, even if Fu Qinghai truly wanted to pray, he couldn't find the tools or the object of worship.
“But… but I promised Mom and Dad I would protect you!” Feiyi was genuinely worried, and the water in her large eyes was faintly shimmering.
Who was protecting whom was still uncertain… Fu Qinghai was speechless. He also took Feiyi’s small hand. “I promised your parents I would protect you too; that’s not a contradiction. The Galaxy is cruel, Feiyi. If I don’t find a way to pursue greater power, how can I protect myself and protect you? By relying on you to stand in front of me again and again?”
Faced with Fu Qinghai’s question, Feiyi was struck dumb. She wasn't a delicate little Princess raised in a greenhouse; even living in the middle tiers of the Leviathan Hive, she understood the cruelty of this Universe.
They couldn't live a carefree Lifetime in this tiny colonial outpost.
“Moreover, a small-scale battle shouldn't last this long; the victor should have been decided long ago. Why hasn't anyone from the colonial outpost arrived? Something else might have happened aboard the Starship,” Fu Qinghai analyzed.
“I can’t draw a firm conclusion about the specific change, but we can go and see,” Fu Qinghai turned to look at Feiyi, his gaze resolute.
…………
The next morning, before the Star had risen, in the faint dawn light, the entire colonial outpost was enveloped in quiet serenity.
Fu Qinghai and Feiyi had already shouldered their packs and set off.
The natural scenery of Cheslatan’s main continent somewhat resembled the American West of his past life. The Jetbike sped across the desolate Gobi desert, leaving a long trail of Smoke and Dust behind them. Occasionally appearing ochre weathered Great Stones and clumps of thorny shrubs provided slight embellishments to the barren landscape.
Fu Qinghai sat on the back seat of the Jetbike, tightly holding Feiyi’s slender waist to prevent being thrown off by the jolting ride. The morning sun wasn't scorching yet. Both their heads and faces were wrapped in face coverings like desert nomads from his past life, exposing only their eyes. Feiyi, who was driving, also wore a pair of amber Goggles, looking very capable.
How to describe Fu Qinghai’s appearance now… Lawrence of Arabia.
Hanging from the side of the bike was a long, pole-like object: a Shock Lance, used by Feiyi’s parents for exploring the wilderness, and currently their only Weapon.
Sitting in the back seat, Fu Qinghai sometimes couldn't help but think: this second life granted by the Reincarnation World is truly excellent. Not only did he get a beautiful face, but he started with a childhood sweetheart companion, and a rare gentle beginner's village in the Warhammer 40,000 Universe like the Cheslatan colonial outpost. Yet, he was still risking his life—it was as if he was completely disregarding the good intentions of the Reincarnation World.
This Leviathan Whirlwind-V model silver-grey Jetbike, manufactured on the Leviathan Hive World, was quite old but sturdy enough. However, the Engine noise was a bit loud, and the vibration was noticeable. The original design’s maximum flight ceiling was 3 meters, but Cheslatan’s Gravity was slightly higher than Leviathan’s. While conserving Promethium fuel, the two could only fly about 1 meter above the ground, essentially skimming the surface.
This was also why Feiyi was driving the Jetbike. After all, flying at a height of one meter required dodging various ground obstacles, and the bike was fast. Feiyi was also more familiar with this Jetbike, and Fu Qinghai hadn't gotten a motorcycle license in his previous life…
In any case, it wasn't because Fu Qinghai was too cowardly to drive.
The midday sun began to heat the Gobi. Fu Qinghai and Feiyi found a shady spot behind a Great Stone to eat lunch, then mounted the bike and continued their journey.
From the colonial outpost to the Starship crash site, even at the Jetbike’s speed, it would take a day and a half to arrive.
That was assuming they were heading in the right direction.
There were no Satellite navigation systems on the colonial planet. Relying on the impressions of the outpost residents and a compass, Fu Qinghai and Feiyi corrected their direction several times, gradually approaching the Starship crash site. Along the way, they saw some scattered man-made objects, likely debris from the Starship.
As dusk approached, the Starship was still far off. The two found a cave, a Seam between two Great Stones, and decided to spend the night there.
Lighting a tin Promethium Lamp, Fu Qinghai and Feiyi spread out blankets on the ground. The night passed without incident; they slept in their clothes.
…………