[Vanessa Nur-Kalles – Documentarist Remembrancer]
We bring 14 star systems and seventy-two planets into the Imperium. That is the result of the Void Stalkers' conquest when they joined the Great Crusade. In a matter of five months, they brought seventy-two planets into the fold.
That is the highest number of planets ever conquered by a Space Marine legion to date.
It is true that most of their so-called conquests are achieved through diplomacy rather than battle. However, it still counts, and I proudly write their accomplishments into remembrance. It is truly a wonder when your first contact in diplomacy is by simply saying hello.
When I was still shadowing the 12th Legion, they never once attempted to call the planet they wanted to conquer. However, I hear they have changed because of their Primarch. They no longer attack without asking questions; they always attempt to communicate first. Sadly, they remain the legion that engages in the most battles because the xenos they encounter are treacherous, attacking them before they can even speak.
It is rather strange, as I hear every race that attacks the 12th Legion acts more like animals. They respond to the initial communication attempt with screaming, then attack. As the battle begins, something weird is happening. They do not care about wounds and always charge forward without thinking, as if their minds are filled only with rage and murder.
At the moment, Lady Furina and her legion handle the eastern fringe of the galaxy and constantly face xeno races that behave in the same manner.
It is so bad that they have requested reinforcements. While the Emperor cannot spare more Space Marines from other legions, Lady Aurelia, Lady Petra, and Lord Theodore have been able to spare some of their sons and a few ships to support Lady Furina. The reason for their willingness is that Lord Theodore shares the secret to safely creating more Space Marines.
I also hear that Lord Theodore visited Lady Furina once.
I don't know the full context, but I heard from a friend who stays with the 12th Legion, the Star Warriors, that after the visit, Lady Furina seemed to be doing better. Previously, there was a heavy aura around her that weighed her down and made other Star Warriors gloomy. After the visit, she looked happy and carried out her duty with an aura so different from before that it made her sons fight better.
Anyway, after we exceeded the quota the Emperor demanded of us, the Void Stalkers decided to stop their expansion and focus on logistics. As always, the others are building wonders and infrastructure that will benefit those who join our banners.
Even those who resist and fight them receive aid. According to Lord Theodore, the regular people are innocent; they only follow orders and can do nothing but attack. At first, we were hated by the defeated worlds, but I can see the change with my own eyes. It is a fascinating thing to behold.
I visited one of the newly defeated worlds and watched as the people began to see the Void Stalkers as truly good people who wanted to help them. It was a beautiful thing to see people realize that the Imperium is truly the correct choice.
We are the ones who shall unite humanity. We are not here as tyrants; we are here as a beacon of hope, and the Void Stalkers and Lord Theodore embody that. We are the embodiment of what the Imperium is.
I dread the thought of the Imperium sending people from the noble circles in Sector Solar, but the Emperor is kind enough, or perhaps it is the agreement between him and his son, to allow Lord Theodore to use the people from Eternitus to act as Planetary Governors and Sector Overlords. I was coming from a fallen noble house, and I know what kind of people those so-called nobles are. I am glad that the Emperor allows us to do this.
Because of this fact, Lord Theodore was able to develop a robust logistical plan to ensure that the planets he conquered could hold the line and even win against any invasion. We don't need nobles who think they know better messing with the grand plan. Even though Lord Theodore is a Primarch, I know those bastards are stupid enough to do that kind of thing.
Also, the Eternitus Empire is willing to share technology with the people we conquer, as the Mechanicus will not touch the southern fringe of the galaxy, where the Void Stalkers and Word Bearers (Lady Aurelia's Legion) wage war. They will not come to us because they swear that we are something they call Heretek, who need to be purged. I hate that religious freak.
I wonder why the Emperor let them be. They break the fundamental ideology of the Imperial Truth. No. Let's not go there.
The Mechanicus has become a headache for the administration in the Star Explorer because they keep attempting to disrupt our systems with false messages containing something called "Scrap Code." According to one of the Space Marines, it is basically a virus that attempts to wipe out everything in the system.
The administration hates it because they always flag those 'messages' as important, and they cannot just ignore them. We might not like each other, but they are still member of the Imperium, and we cannot ignore something important coming from them.
Sadly for them, Lady Ana, Lord Theodore's consort, easily takes care of them.
When I asked why Lord Theodore did not act against them, the Space Marine told me he could not because of the treaty between Terra and Mars. I know that treaty, and I still don't understand why Lord Theodore does not perform a subtle attack against them. I asked him about it that day.
The Space Marine smirked and said that Lord Theodore has plans against them, but it requires time.
I don't know what the plan is, but seeing that bloodthirsty smile makes me excited to see it unfold.
Speaking of the civilian side, with Lord Theodore acting as Emperor of his own empire, he can send his people across the planets he has conquered. Not only that, half of the population in our fleets are coming from the Eternitus. They are here as soldiers, medics, engineers, and trainers. We have four Expedition Fleets, each with 2 million people. The first is the 2nd Expedition Fleet, led by Admiral Hannah. This is the fleet that follows Lord Theodore and the units he is leading.
This expedition fleet contains a massive amount of firepower. It is not the largest fleet in terms of number, but it has the highest firepower among the four. It does not include the Star Explorer itself, which is a monster on its own and can take on an entire fleet in battle.
Admiral Hannah is a great person, kind, easy to talk to, and very energetic, at least when she is not in battle. When in battle, she becomes a stoic and hard-faced admiral who is able to calculate enemy movements through the live feeds provided to her. It is as if she can watch the entire battlefield with a glance and create plans and orders on the fly.
Because of this, the 2nd Fleet is known for its excellence in void-based battle. No attack is able to pierce our ships' shield, and they cannot even approach us to perform a boarding action. While she handles the entire void battle, Lord Theodore and his sons carry out boarding operations. They enter the enemy ships and kill everyone inside the ship before jumping to another one.
This led the 2nd Fleet to have the highest void battle victory.
The second one is the 6th Expedition Fleet. If the 2nd Fleet is known for its firepower and boarding action, the 6th Fleet is a full support fleet. "Full support" does not mean they avoid battle; half of the 6th fleet consists of stealth specialists. They scout ahead, gather information, and return. When it is time for battle, they attack from the rear, dealing devastating damage before disappearing once again.
And the other half?
They support healing, repair, and rescue missions. This is the fleet where the Void Stalkers' Apothecary units stay. They are here to heal the injuries of their fellow Space Marines and even the regiments attached to the Void Stalkers. They work with the Red Cross; they are the medical units composed of trained doctors from Eternitus, focusing on the human side of the problem. That doesn't mean they do not help the Space Marines, however. It is rare, according to them, but it does happen.
For repairs, Techmarines and other engineers work together. The name might suggest they only handle repairs for the technology the Void Stalkers use, but that is not the case. They also handle the construction of temporary fortresses on newly conquered worlds, and even oversee construction when we take a break from the Great Crusade after fulfilling our quota. Seeing them control an army of drones always excites me. There is something beautiful in seeing them change a broken or barren location into something whole.
They use construction ships equipped with Macro Fabricators, which allow them to construct void-based structures. They can even construct emergency ships in case their legion needs them. They can only construct frigates, but that is more than enough for the Techmarines and human pilots in emergencies.
Finally, there are the rescue units. This part requires both medical and stealth units. If members of the Void Stalkers are in a difficult situation and need rescue, this special unit is deployed to assist. The medical unit stabilizes anyone who needs attention, and the stealth unit takes them home.
The 6th Fleet is unique because, unlike other fleets, it does not depart to conquer on its own. Instead, they spread their ships among the other fleets to perform their duties. They support them in all kinds of situations. They are truly a perfect support fleet.
The next one is the 30th Expedition Fleet. They specialize in planetary engagement. They are capable in void battles, but they excel in surface warfare. After securing an opening, they immediately enter the planet's surface and wage war against the inhabitants.
They heavily use tanks, artillery, and infantry charges. The Behemoth units, the Void Stalkers' Terminator units, stay in this fleet. With their heavily modified Terminator armor and the heavy weaponry they carry, they can act as tanks, artillery, and infantry all at once.
Under Admiral Gabriel, this fleet is known for breaking what is supposedly an attrition battle and ending the war before the enemy can do more.
Because of their specialization, they are sometimes paired with the main fleet, and with the leadership of Lord Theodore, they can break even the most fortified planet. I recall one human planet with advanced technology comparable to Imperium's technology (excluding Eternitus) and a heavily fortified fortress.
However, it meant nothing to Lord Theodore, who tore apart their walls using his psychic might and the full bombardment capabilities of the Eternitus Empire. I remember it like it was yesterday: the 30th Fleet brought out one of the Void Stalkers' secret weapons, artillery that fires a sickly green beam that eats through walls and shields like hungry rats chewing through a corpse.
It was beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
The last one is the 101st Expedition Fleet. They specialize in "Mechs." At first, I didn't know what that meant, but it turns out that "Mech" is the Eternitus name for a Titan. Their version of a knight is called a "Mobile Suit" because it can be operated by one person. That one person must be a Space Marine, however, because a mortal mind cannot control the 18-meter-tall robot.
Mobile Suits can operate in space and are very agile. With their humanoid shape, they can perform maneuvers that ships cannot. Furthermore, they are perfect for boarding actions. They can also be used in planetary battles. Their flight systems allow them to fly while on the planet's surface. As long as the gravity is not five times stronger than on Terra, they can fly.
They are holding a macro gun. The most common is the Rapid-Fire Battle Cannons, which fire high-explosive shells. However, that is not the only weapon. I've seen that they are equipped with weapons such as the Heavy Plasma Cannon, Heavy Lascannon, and even the Macro Gauss Cannon.
Mechs, on the other hand, are bigger and more powerful. Sadly, in exchange for this extra firepower, they can no longer fight in the void, nor can they fly on a planet's surface like the Mobile Suits. However, they usually carry a massive cannon that can destroy a section of the battlefield. That is not the only thing they can do; every Mech carries fabricators that allow it to send drones to repair machines around it and to control broken machinery.
As for weapons, they carry weapons that are usually equipped on a battleship. There is a reason why one of the Space Marines I've talked to said that they are known as a walking battleship.
This is true one-man-army technology.
Under Admiral Valen-Uni, the 101st Fleet is usually sent to planets with advanced technology, where they can use their Mechs as the ultimate weapon. Of course, they still rely on Space Marines and regiments to fight, but Admiral Valen-Uni heavily uses Mechs in planetary battles and Mobile Suits in void battles. She is rather eccentric and always goes on and on about Mechs and Mobile Suits, but she is kind and caring beneath her eccentricity.
Just don't mention Mechs or Mobile Suits.
I hear Lord Theodore is about to receive another fleet from Terra, or at least permission to create one. With more fleets, we will conquer even more planets and bring them into the Imperium.
They will see that the Imperium is the best place for their civilization. We are people who come from Terra; we are the root of humanity, and it is our right to unite them. They will join, and we will make sure they do, even if we have to drag them in screaming.
We are the Imperium, and we are the beacon of hope for all humanity. With Lord Theodore, we shall fulfill that dream.
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