Necrontyr Homeworld, Halo Stars Region.
Szarekh, the Silent King, stood on the Dias of Dominion alongside his fellow Triarch members; Hapthatra the Radiant, and Mesophet the Shadowed Hand. The Dias of Dominion was the Royal ruling throne of all Necrontyr Dynasties, passed down from one generation to the next. Arcs of green radiation-filled lightning sparked around this dias, providing a ghostly ambiance for those not familiar with Necrontyr's artistic sense.
"Hapthatra, have we done the right thing?" Szarekh asked, self-reflection.
His actions of declaring war were not without a reason. The fractioned and spread out Necrontyr Dynasties had been warring with themselves for a variety of reasons and if there was not a common enemy the Necrontyr could rally behind to fight, it would most likely fight itself into extinction. So when Weklor of the Old Ones had come to them with good intentions, Szarekh did not care about them in the slightest.
With the promise of Immortality and a common enemy, the Necrontyr people would stop fighting within themselves and have a goal to strive for. But now that the wars have lasted so long, and the Necrontyr were driven back into their homeworld he was not sure if he made the right decision. The Old Ones were always able to outmaneuver their forces with their Webway and the superweapons of the Honored Ones were too flexible in what they could do.
One minute they were cutting apart the battlefield with warp lightning, and the next they were shielding an entire legion from their own attack. The versatility and maneuverability of the Old Ones were vastly superior to themselves, who prior to this didn't have any contact with the Immaterium.
"It's useless to ask the question now," Hapthatra said, shaking his head.
"But I think it was correct," Hapthatra said, after a slight pause.
Mesophet rubbed his fingers together thinking, then he turned towards Szarekh.
"Szarekh, what did the god tell you?" Mesophet asked.
"They said that they have lost their memories and can't remember," Szarekh answered.
Despite the title of Silent King, in Necrontyr culture, he was not mute. This was a tradition for the head of the Dynasty to not speak and address his subjects or foreign dignitaries directly but through the other ruling Phaerons. In private discussions, the three members of the Triarch would often have lengthy discussions.
"Then, we can let them remember," Mesophet said, a glint of cunning in his eyes.
"What do you mean?" Szarekh asked, questioning.
"We can help them 'rediscover' the lost history related to their memories," Mesophet said, his lips raising a smile.
Szarekh and Hapthatra looked at each other before Hapthatra asked.
"Do you mean to... lie to them?" Hapthatra asked.
"How can it be a lie if it can't remembered?" Mesophet asked, rhetorically.
"Let's remind them about how they ended up in such a state. About their eternal enemies which had crushed them." Mesophet spoke, an evil smile growing on his face.
"You mean?" Hapthatra said, in realization.
"Yes, the Old Ones, their eternal enemies. How cruel it was to strip away even the god's memories. They took the place where the gods once stood and cast them down." Mesophet said further.
Then Mesophet and Hapthatra both looked back above them on the dias waiting for Szarekh's decision.
"It is decided." Szarekh declared.
...
Unknown Location, Halo Stars Region.
"Hello, Silent King, Szarekh," The sinister-sounding voice said as Szarekh approached the being.
Its voice sounded like thousands of snake hisses layered over each other and its appearance looked like a gigantic mass of living darkness with wings that could envelop an entire planet if it wanted to. This being had such an overbearing presence that Szarekh suspected it to be a god. Its wings had constant arcs of purple electricity pealing off the surrounding air into plasma, and if it hadn't held back for Szarekh to approach, he would most likely have been vaporized by them.
"Mighty God Mephet'ran, we of the Triarch have agreed to share what we have discovered about your forgotten memories," Szarekh said, carefully.
"Really?" Mephet'ran questioned.
"Yes," Szarekh said, bowing slightly before continuing.
"God Mephet'ran, the Necrontyr empire has done as you instructed previously, " Szarekh said.
"Oh? Hmm, let me see." Mephet'ran replied.
Szarekh pulled out a green hologram of a metallic skeleton made completely of Necrodermis, the living metal. It had 2 loop-like rings on its back, which made it look like where the wings of an angel might go, but instead, they were large metallic hoops, with sharp jagged edges.
"This body is not usable," Mephet'ran said, appraising it.
"The core is too dense. It would shred souls near it once it is exposed." Mephet'ran continued.
"We will do so," Szarekh answered.
Szarekh then paused, organizing his words carefully before laying out the lie he and the other Triarchs would tell the Star Gods.
"Mephet'ran, God of truth, from our earliest records, we discovered some indications about the past war fought against the Old Ones and the Star Gods," Szarekh said.
"What have you discovered?" Mephet'ran asked, his entire attention focused on Szarekh's words.
Szarekh then pulled up some dummy historical records and ancient sightings that the Triarch had ordered into their history archives. Thankfully with the technology of the Necrontyr, they could easily plant evidence and alter history efficiently without traces. There are even generated images and artificial battle remnants forged in several different locations around the universe in case Mephet'ran went to verify the claims.
The evidence was so perfectly forged, that if debris in the battle sites were sampled for their exact age, it would show that it had happened a long time ago.
"This is troublesome," Mephet'ran said, in contemplation.
"Tell me the location of the nearest battle remnants," Mephet'ran demanded.
"The nearest would be the Asidian Asteroid belt here in the Halo Stars Region," Szarekh answered.
"I will go and bring the others here after I see for myself." Mephet'ran announced before his shadowy wings turned into ionic currents and shot him in the direction of the Asidian Asteroid belt.
...
Asidian Asteroid belt.
The gigantic parasitic being that was Mephet'ran arrived at the vast asteroid belt Szarekh had mentioned. He began inspecting the area thoroughly for the marks left by the 'battle' that happened with the Old Ones a long time ago. And he did find them. The signs of battle were perfectly shown with the age markers dating it perhaps 1 billion years ago.
Yet despite this, Mephet'ran had a feeling, this was not what it seemed. He could not discover what was out of place among the battle remains, but his sixth sense told him the battlefield before him was a forged lie.
'Foolish,' Mephet'ran laughed in his mind.
He then left to inform the other Star Gods.
More chapters ahead at:
patreon .com /MatheuDeWitt
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!