Reforging the Blade

[Heuschrecke]

Major. Heimirich thought he was in some kind of surreal scape. He could barely see anything, but what he could, it filled him with a mix of dread and awe. Nomads of all shapes and sizes, plenty being far larger than the carrier. The psychic power of them too was far stronger than anything he could comprehend. And yet, they did not show them any attention, merely moved around in the deep blue fog surrounding them. Not all of them could be seen, but they could be felt. Their influence was insurmountable.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"I... In a sense... yes."

Was all the captain could muster. The Hypergate loomed in front of them, though he was not sure what lay on the other side. It was less of a concern though than the battleship-sized Nomad in front of them.

"Don't concern yourself. They haven't bitten yet, why would they now?"

It eased him somewhat but at the same time, their presence was far more overwhelming than mere words could steady. He pressed onwards, as indicated by their escort, into another system unheard of nor seen ever before by human eyes. A collective gasp could be heard from the entire crew as they breached into Iota, the Nomad's home. Of course, they didn't know that yet, but it was clear this place was a well-guarded region. Defences watching and forms darting around, yet none of them showed any interest in the newcomer. Words failed him, and the crew. Though, their silent, reserved admiration was interrupted by their escort's voice once more:

"Have you ever heard of the LSF that struck into Thuringia? An... Expensive trip. In a way, they're responsible for Imperial Shipping, you know. Their attack made the Marinenachrichtendinst broaden it's control and oversight."

"And how is that possible?"

"Fear. Fear is one of the few driving forces Humanity truly has."

They pressed onwards to their final destination: Altair. The nebula swirled around them, enshrouding their view of their new home. Eventually, they breached the opening and it caught each of their breaths. A monstrosity far beyond their comprehension. Multitudes of strange voices echoed in their minds, not all of them ignoring the freshly caught souls aboard, some taking an interest in the new hull to reshape.

"These fine men and women of Liberty should be able to get you sorted. Do remember your manners. They are kind to a fault."

"I hardly think we are in a position to argue... what with these... soldiers staring us down..."

His words trailed off, but were greeted with a response.

"Oh, but any soldier is truly just a person, in the end. Forgetting that has led to... many of the greatest tragedies."

There was an available open drydock almost waiting for their arrival, as though Altair command had been forewarned of their arrival. Heimirich did not speak, did not move, his crew directing the vessel to the dock. As soon as the mooring terminal connected and the vessel connected to the bridge between the them and the structure, they were ordered to line up and leave the vessel under armed supervision. None of them tried to run, each and every one of them loyal to their captain and his instruction. Something that might have impressed their escorts had they been remotely human or interested.