Victory Pointless

Klotophis studied the hardlight glyphs swirling in the air in front of him and frowned as much as his rigid metal faceplate would allow.

The Tomb Ship now hung at the edge of the Sanguis system, its huge crescent bulk hidden amongst the cloud of icy planetesimals that marked the outermost border of the planetary system, its instruments scanning the inner worlds.  Klotophis knew that this could only be a brief stop – if he delayed much further Phaeron Barrakhad’s impatience to spill blood would boil over into rage and he would order a heedless charge at the nearest populated astral body.  Time for planning was limited, and even a Chronomancer could only do so much about that.  That was Problem 1.

Problem 2: He had expected to find a primitive human backwater planet that Barrakhad could amuse himself by stripping of life while Klotophis secured the device.  Instead he found a fortress world in the middle of a full-scale war.  Some kind of religious conflict between the humans who used and worshipped the Empyrean versus those who used it but pretended to hate it.  The details of the theological dispute did not interest Klotophis so much as the fact that both sides had turned out in significant force.

Problem 3: The planet was shot through with spurs of Blackstone, presumably the reason it had not been swallowed by the surrounding warp storms of the Great Rift.  However, it made it extremely difficult to pick out the specific mass of Blackstone which formed the device he was interested in.

Problem 4: If the historical records were to be believed, the builders of the Blackstone engine had feared – admittedly with some justification – its misuse by their fellow Necrontyr.  It was thus said to be surrounded by wards and countermeasures designed to disable and destroy Necrontryr technology – a category which now included the Necrons themselves.  Even if the device could be located, acquiring it safely might prove difficult.

Problem 5: That damned woman.  If she suspected their true aims…

Something in the shifting sea of data in front of him caught the attention of one of his cerebral cores.  In amongst the mass of competing elements there were those moving in contra-patterns to the two main human forces or which were, like the Shakhana themselves, lurking on the fringes.  He picked them out, ran identification subroutines.

Drukhari raiders.  An Ork Waaagh.  A tendril of a Tyranid hive fleet.  Humans… no, Votann (another distinction that did not particularly interest him, but at least this subspecies had the good sense to worship machines).  Unnatural bedfellows, and each only a minor element in the broader conflict, but if they could somehow be controlled, bound together, wielded as a tool… well, that should provide solutions to problems 1 through 4.  Possibly even 5, if suitable circumstances arose.

They wouldn’t knowingly take orders from a Necron, of course, but mortals were so trivially easy to deceive, they practically did it to themselves. 

He sent an interstitial communication to Najakh.  The Technomancer took an unusually long time to respond and when he did his speech was odd, dilated.  “Chhhrrrooooooooonnoooooo-”

Ah, of course.  Klotophis dialled his chronosense back to Necron standard.  Just as well – the back of his head had begun to glow with heat.

“-mancer Klotophis, how may I be of assistance?” Najakh finished.

“Dear colleague, I wonder if you might assist me in sending a little message…”

+++Duplicity protocols executing… Quantum shift perception filter engaged.  Auto translation/deception of monologue active and ongoing.  Holographic hypno-suggestion markers embedded.  Mindshackled Astropath within acceptable pain limits.  You may begin, honoured Chronomancer.  Transmitting on all interstitial, vox and psychic channels.+++

Greetings, warlord of an infantile race(/Archon Syrix Velith/Kâhl Tôryk Ûrann/Blessed Star Gods/Warboss Krakkjaw).  My name is Chronomancer Klotophis(/Haemonculus Klotozzar/Arkanist Klôgrymm/Cult Magos Klophiss/Big Mek Kloktopus).  I see that you are engaged in preparations for military action(/soul raiding/mineral prospecting/biomass harvesting/humie krumpin’) on Sangua Terra and I have a proposal(/pact/contract/supplication/job wot wonts doin’) to put to you for our mutual gain.

Somewhere on this world there is a Blackstone Engine created in long ages past by the mighty Necrontyr(/mysterious ancient aliens).  If you will follow my imperative protocols(schemes/schematics/synaptic spoor trails/kunnin planz) then together we will conquer this world, recover the device and reap the rewards of great power(/pain and suffering/mineral resources/biomass/big bagz fulla teef).

Our initial strategic goal must be to [+++REDACTED UNTIL END OF CAMPAIGN PHASE+++]

Eternal glory to the Shakhana Dynasty(/you, great Archon/the Ancestors/the Four-Armed Emperor/Da Waaaaaaagh!).

+++Transmission terminated.  Quantum coherence reestablished.+++