Freya was on her throne watching the recorded video of the Crystal World's destruction. They had managed to catch the transmitted footage from the eye drone aboard Typhus' ship after he'd returned back to the Materium a scant few minutes later. She wasn't expecting his return so soon but didn't mind. It was only when they'd made a quick stop at the colony world at the edge of the galaxy closest to galaxy designated "W40K" that the quintessence-grade communication signal reached her vessel's massive transmitter network. Even going at the speed of light, a radio wave would have taken tens of millennia to reach the edge of another galaxy but you can't manage a massive empire with portions settled in multiple galaxies without bending the laws of physics in many aspects of logistics and communications.
While it was on her mind now, she gave an order to have copies of the combat footage and scan diagnostics of the Orks and Plague Marines' capabilities and physiology sent to her species' numerous allies, as well as what galaxy they resided in. Better safe than sorry. Never know when one of them might decide to venture into that smelting pot of war. It's not like that galaxy was the only one they were currently at war time with.
There were three other galaxies where their forces were currently engaged in either open war or skirmishes against various species, but not all conflicts required her personal overwatch with Outer Heaven. At the beginning of those conflicts, she'd use it in the opening salvos and then pull it back once the psychological damage was done. The enemies see it once and never forget it. With it gone from sight, it'd never leave their minds and have them tip-toeing each tactical maneuver.
A flash from the screen replays in slow motion the massive energy shell, signs of destabilization clear to the Eye Drone's powerful camera, plunging into a world that seemed like it couldn't decide on what its appearance should be even though two common features were the blue colors and crystalline structures. The planet's crystal covered surface seemed to sink in on itself like a black hole was inside of it before the energy shell finally broke apart into an explosion the equivalent of a supernova. The footage had to be slowed down more as fire spewed from the puncture hole first before rupturing through the crust everywhere else. Slowly, the planet expanded until the crust was in thousands of large pieces that were just as quickly swallowed up.
Three fleets of Chaos ships, all festering with organic appendages and symbols of blasphemies to the "Corpse Emperor" and praises to Tzeentch and numbering in the dozens of hundreds, tried to break away but were swallowed up seconds later. Many had energy shields that protected them for numerous seconds. During those seconds, the ships were still thrown about by the force of the explosion and knocked into each other or other objects of note. When their shields collapsed, their superstructures didn't last but a second before disintegrating. The explosion's sphere of fiery destruction was heading towards the Terminus Est for several minutes given that he'd arrived so far away. A smart move as it gave him enough time to warp back into the Materium plane to avoid being annihilated.
She rewinds it to show Fenris again, much to the baby's joy of watching the pretty images and lights.
"That's right, Fenris. You're just a week old and have already killed hundreds of millions of daemons and millions of Chaos-corrupted Humans. I'm certain that's a universal record. Esdeath is probably so jealous. Mommy's so proud of you, yes she is." She rubbed her nose along Fenris's, tummy and she laughed and cheered like any happy baby would, much to the humor of the staff on the bridge.
Of course, the birth of Slaanesh killed and corrupted billions of Eldar, so when Freya finds that out… let's just say, things are going to get dicey.
"My Queen, the colony has been resupplied and many of the passengers on Outer Heaven have been rotated with those on the planet wanting to travel back. Ready to Warp back to Home at your command."
She gave a longing sigh at the thought of returning to her species home territory, especially with her new child.
"Take us home, Aelita."
The golden haired and eye woman gave a smile and launched the warp beam. Its connection was aided by a connecting warp portal in their home planet's orbit, linking to two to create a tunnel. The ship surged forward, passengers and crews alike happy to be going back to familiar territory for the first time in a dozen years. With a brief trip to the swirling blue and black tunnel of folded time and space, they arrived to be greeted by 21,676 ships of war, not including the 2,000 Bahamut-class sky fortresses settled over the planet's surface, the 2,000 stealth cruisers of Fleet "Nexus", and the 5,000 SOLL (Strategic Orbital Linear Lasers) hovering within low orbit of the planet ready to rain concentrated laser fire on any foreign/hostile object that somehow gets this far into the system or within the planet's atmosphere.
Including the AAM (Arms of the All-Mother) Nexus fleet, these ten fleets in total make up the "Invincible Aegir Armada" tasked with protecting the Valkyrian homeworld from all enemies. No enemy has ever invaded the Valkyrian homeworld, only three in the past ever getting within an astronomical unit (Valkyrian-standard, 2.3x Earth-standard AU) of the beautiful world. All of the ships were colored a deep golden with crimson red highlights and displayed various sigils and symbols denoting their fleet affiliation. The armada was in a massive formation that created a corridor for Outer Heaven towards Cradle of Life's capital city 'Tecomfpzhire.
The mothership sailed forward gracefully as it passed the columns and rows of ships saluting its return with cannon discharges the crossed in front of the ship's intended path before exploding into flares of colors and sigils that spoke welcomes and good prayers. At the end was a beautiful world dominated by a single ocean with give large continents scattered like in a diamond shape with the fifth being in the middle. The ocean was as crystal blue as if in a fantasy game with no signs of pollution anywhere, though it was dotted by thousands of land specks that were actually offshore platforms as well as concentric circles of thin rings expanding from each continent. The four outer continents were brown landmasses with a single massive metropolis centered on each surrounded by millions of acres of vegetation and forests. The fifth continent was nearly pure white and grey as it was almost completely covered by a truly massive city that was composed of several rings of walls, layering each level of the city into higher elevations the further in you went.
As this Freya was watching the welcoming, she was a bit curious.
"This is a bit more than the usual welcoming upon the return from our forays, wouldn't you say, Loki?" The X.O. of the ship nodded and made some quick chatter with the Grand Primal Commander of the Aegir Armada.
"It appears that when word got out of our return, the crews of many ships requested to do something extravagant to welcome home your first daughter."
"Quite the flatterers," she mused but seeing Fenris's awed face looking at the colors and shapes from the flare rounds, she didn't mind. "I'll let them know how much she enjoys it. A simple message would be an insult to their consideration."
Indeed, it took several hours to prepare in time for the short occasion that she'd hate to see their efforts returned with no thanks. Looking at Fenris's wide-eyed face, she sent that image and her thanks across the hive link to all her people within the fleet. A quick video recorded by Loki was also made and distributed throughout the armada for the V.I.s and A.I.s to download.
"They show you their joy for your new found love and happiness, my Queen."
Freya considered her friend's words and felt herself truly touched, like each time a Valkyrian with no successors would request her to Neblade their body upon their deaths and she would receive not only the memories and emotions of love they had for their parents and/or children, but for her as well. It was always a humbling fact that gave her mixed feelings.
"It seems that there will be quite the crowd lining the streets around the citadel. Many have been wanting to glimpse your daughter. You plan to disclose how you came by her?" Loki asked as she relaxed against the side of Freya's throne.
Freya blew some of her friend's hair out from her face due to their postures but Fenris grabbed a few strands and started chewing on them much to both women's amusement. "I don't see why not. Nothing said and heard here will ever reach those ninjas to cause us unnecessary distractions. How is progress coming by the way of restructuring the Uzumaki Islands?"
Loki merely tilted her head to allow Fenris some more slack with her hair while a small holograph played across her vision. Since it was a simple messenger, she didn't need to bring up Outer Heaven's larger screens. "At 83% completion. Estimated time to completion of schools, hospitals, orphanages and nurseries, garrisons, and research laboratories will be two full cycles."
"graaahhh" came from Fenris as she gnawed on hair strands that were tough enough to substitute for titanium alloy. Her toothless mouth could only spread saliva on such durable substances.
"I never got to hold her, Freya? Why don't you share the cutie before you two disappear for the next decade or two? I'm going to be quite busy with some modifications and overhauling our fleets." That got a raised brow but thinking of such reasons, she could understand as much. With a small lift, Fenris was soon cuddled by a happy Loki.
"In preparation for the 4-DG object showing signs of activity for the first time in eons according to the Ceph. Not only that, but you noticed how only a few ship classes of ours are built to a scale matching those of lighter classes of the Plague Gods. If that is the usual, then while technologically superior, our ship scales are quite underwhelming. Normally, that wouldn't be enough, would it?"
The Under-Supreme Primal nodded as she maneuvered her free hand to spread out a holo screen in front of them. On it showed a few genome strands of both Valkyrians and the Orks. "I understand your reasoning in wanting the Orks' growth hormone. As much as we value martial prowess alongside other things, our Valkyrian soldiers would see a huge increase in body mass the more we fight. I'll have to do some tampering to make sure we don't become muscled monstrosities like the Orks, but if our soldiers and crews grow at the rate of these Orks, we're going to be too big for the majority of our ships. Our entire Navy will need to be larger in physical size. Several certain sets of equipment and weapons and vehicles will need to be bigger as well. I'm going to be very busy for a while."
Freya could certainly see the complications in that. "That seems like too much trouble. Wouldn't it be simpler to have the estimated ship tonnages incapable of supporting physically larger Valkyrian crews to be manned by our A.I. companions while we build bigger ships for our own?"
The scientist ran the numbers and different results came up but most seemed like good compromises. "It'd certainly save time. The next twenty fleets will be finished by the Path of Defiance's factories within a few days. It'd increase our total naval strength by 58%. I could commission the construction of a second Defiance-class factory world. Having the frame built in parts by the Path will take five years at the least. Towing those parts will take but two days and putting them together will take two weeks and three cycles of non-stop effort. During that completion, the Path will be 30% through with creating all the necessary factories and machinery for the new Def-2. Estimated time for completion starting after finishing the frame parts will be one week. Moving it all onto Def-2 and installing it will take a couple of weeks. Gathering large stocks of raw materials while it's being built will take six years in total. By then, I will have uploaded new ship designs as well into the Def-2's mainframe and with proper maintenance crews and materials, it can begin construction operations. Due to larger requirements, an armada of ten fleets around 8,000 new ships will take about three years."
"That's quite a years but is nothing compared to the rewards. How are your new Whiplash soldiers? I didn't get to see them perform much in the Ork battle."
Loki gave a small, incomprehensible chitter of contentment. "They performed optimally. I'm clearing them for mass production. Soon, there will be two for each newly sized squad of seven units."
"Very well, continue your excellent work, my friend. Be sure to come visit Fenris and I whenever you get some free time. She'll certainly miss you," she remarked as the baby was trying to climb up her chest. Loki and Freya watched her struggle and gave no help. She wasn't in danger and the exercise would be healthy for her. Her magenta eyes never wavered or looked away from the woman's own as she slowly but surely got up to her chin.
"Oh, I guess I can visit such a cutie," Loki spoke softly as Fenris put her tiny pale hands on her face, feeling her lips mostly but poking at her nose and cheeks as well. To her and Freya's pleasant surprise, Fenris leaned her head forward and pressed it against her face on the side of her nose. She tried moving her head a little but the effort was a bit too much for her at the moment and she fell against the top of her chest. "She seems to have been very observant of our own interactions. That looked like our usual nudges, Freya."
"Yes, it certainly did. My daughter is a quick learner and overachiever it seems."
And no, her voice did not hold one ounce of jealousy either. Loki sighed dramatically. "It would seem that she's fated to fall for my beauty before her own mother's. Woh is to you, my dearest friend."
Twitch...
"Don't worry though. As your dearest friend, I will return her love as much as an Aunt and a lonely single woman of an ambiguous morality can."
Freya took a deep breath to not bite at the temptation of Neblading Loki...pun intended.
"I wouldn't be so sure. She will have plenty of years with just me around her to outgrow her infant affection for you." She said that with all the conviction of a judge giving a sentence.
"And yet, she fell for me in seconds. Yes, my friend, you will need years to outdo that, I agree," the woman jested, enjoying this victory over Freya.
Twitch!
As the banter continued, the massive bulk of Outer Heaven entered the atmosphere of the planet, its speed and size creating enough air friction to set fire to its form. The three massive tendrils twisted around each other as a massive, gaping hole opened within the ocean outside of the capital city. Every minute, billions of gallons of fresh water poured downwards within a massive metal well composed of a circular wall that tipped just a few hundred yards before the surface of the ocean. The water fell into the dark abyss where even light couldn't penetrate it from outside.
A massive ring of glowing orange light appeared deep within and the tendrils' singular point homed in on it. It was a sight unforgettable to the young children and A.I.s on the planet who've never seen Outer Heaven dock within the Sun Forge, a massive forge/hangar built specifically for Outer Heaven within the bottom of the mantle layer of the planet, connected to the outer core as well.
As the fiery arms of the Grateful Sun Ray plunged deep into the abyssal hole for the next 8,000 miles, it took several minutes before they were completely under the surface sea level. By then, the twelve grand and majestic wings along the sides of the main body laid themselves down flat, six on the "top" of the ship and the remaining six on the "bottom".
For the next fifteen minutes due to slowing down, the Outer Heaven's body sunk beneath the surface level of the seas until it finally disappeared like the setting sun on the horizon. It was visible from the air for several more minutes as it sunk beneath the actual seafloor by several dozen miles before massive metal doors began closing the 500 mile wide hole and the massive amounts of sea water that fell earlier was regurgitated up via massive ballast systems and the walled off well was lowered, quickening the space's refilling.
The Outer Heaven, behind the massive shutters now, descended into the darkness that was illuminated only by the fiery glow way down below and the ship's own natural glow. The usual silence was now encompassed by a sound that had no comparison to help describe it. One could only call it "Otherworldly" and incomprehensible to imagine by any living being until they've heard it themselves. It was the voice of the ship itself, a constant song no longer mute in the vacuum of space. All of the parts of the ship that moved about, the parts that whistled as the air flew within holes and gaps, the subtle and constant roar of the fires of air friction, the thrums of the engines and gravitational compressors lining the hull to prevent the ship's own gravitating mass from pulling apart the planet around it, and a whistle-like pitch from deep within the ship that sounded like soft wind instruments.
One would be forgiven if he/she thought, from witnessing the ship's passing, that it was a living creature from the sounds alone. That person wouldn't be completely wrong. The Outer Heaven was as much a living, breathing entity as the tens of thousands of Valkyrians and millions of creatures that called it a home away from home. The true nature of Outer Heaven is a ship that is a conglomeration of all that defines the Valkyrian people; their morals, strengths, weaknesses, ingeniousness and cunning, pride, beauty, dedication, drive, courage, faith and power. It is the personification and the tool of their hopes, dreams, and imagination.
Such a ship can not be just a ship; it can not be just a tool of war, exploration and domination. Such a ship could not exist as just an inanimate object. It possessed the very spirit of all the Valkyrians and A.I.s who built it, looked upon it, admired it, fought and/or died for it, served in it or with it, lived in it, birthed and raised children in it, and relied upon it.
Its name is Outer Heaven for a reason.
Several minutes later, deep within the mantle layer where just the temperature outside of the ship was around 835 degrees Fahrenheit, the ship came upon the first artificial objects aside from the columns that reinforced the side of the massive hole. A massive gate that looked like a jigsaw puzzle laid shut before them. Upon registering, scanning, and confirming the Outer Heaven 's identity via a bunch of technological shit* built into the gate, its pieces began peeling aside after disconnecting with a matching piece opposite it. This continued for several moments, each door getting brighter and brighter from a dull grey to a shiny red.
At the last lock peeled away, the hole's temperature shut up to several thousand degrees Celsius as the heat from the core of the planet flooded into the passage tunnel. Only, what most scientists and geologists would expect a planet's core to look like, would be completely wrong.
Instead of a massive molten core of molten iron-nickel, a great gyroscope contraption was built within a large open space that would have been the Outer Core had it not somehow been replaced by the gargantuan metal rings encircling the actual Inner Core of the planet—a great yellow ball of pure energy that looked like molten metal that acted almost alive as it was contained by the gyroscope. Along the inside of the Inner Mantle, it was metallic surfaces of polished metal with great tower constructs poking out from them towards the mass of rings.
At one moment, arcs of electricity exited from a particularly glowing tower's needle at the gyroscope. The entire set of rings would slow down and stop before the energy from the core was harvested by the rings and was drained by the active tower. Afterwards, the rings would be moving again. The rings' motions were all patterned, mimicking the would-be movement of the Outer Core that somehow replaced the movement of the original, keeping the tectonic movements as natural as possible.
Outside of this containment measure, a massive tunnel several hundred miles wide, though not as wide as the service tunnel Outer Heaven just traveled down, led through a hole in this gyroscope's set movement, leading directly to the "Inner Core". The tendrils of the G.S.R. slipped into this tunnel with practiced ease unheard of for something its size but quite commonplace throughout its history despite the length of time between each Port-of-Call.
Like a bullet pushed into a chamber by the receiver, the great mothership locked into place with the tunnel connecting to the base of the cannon and latching onto the main body. A massive surge of energy began cycling between the ships and the core siphoned the energy from the quasar within Outer Heaven, draining the ship's energy low enough to maintain complicated life preservation systems, such as the wild life biospheres, Valkyrian nurseries, temperature and pressure controls, etc. while it grew about a few miles thicker. Thankfully, the Armada that usually accompanied Outer Heaven had followed it instead of being docked inside so they were left back in orbit, shadowed by Cocytus and Erubetie.