Chapter 374 - Far Future Ch. 84 – Make You to Rise Like the Sun (1/2)
Captain Donnal stared, and subconsciously glanced back in the direction of the Warp Zone. ”They can manifest a mindclaw, but not psychic powers?” he asked specifically.
”A mindblade is a transpsionic discipline. As it can exist even in an anti-psionic field, it is not purely psionic. Furthermore, a Null can manifest a Claw, but not a blade. It has to remain within an inch or two of their skin, as I was told.
”It is these sisters and brothers of hers who are actually driving her rise to power, as they are finding and unleashing more of these Null Psions among the people.
”As for the militants she has been training, many of them are being specifically trained for service in both of our Orders, and although they are young, their service and resistance to psionic or Warp subversion has been exemplary.
”We have been backing her rise, and are waiting to see where it is going. As she is not a psion, she would not be able to thrive properly in our Orders, so we have been following her career... and taking advantage of her talents.
”We believe that the Legions not taking advantage of her talents is a true failure of the Empire. The chance for one to do so has fallen into our laps, and we are taking advantage of it,” finished Duke Parablum.
”I believe if you sat down with her for a discussion of where you might take a new company or nine of yours, Captain, you would find the discussion interesting. While there have been Battalions whose Legionnaires have had special gear and lavish attention foisted upon them to become truly effective at what they do... the rest of the Army, Fleet, and Legions are still using the same wargear from five thousand years ago, and for some reason, our military situation is no better now than it was then.”
Captain Donnal was going to say something about faith and duty, and then remembered to whom he was speaking. These were not men to sugarcoat reality... their job was to stare it in the face and defy it. Perhaps they had not seen as many battlefields as he... but he could not be sure, and their battles were constant and never-ending skirmishes in the dark and the light, not just warzones.
”I will consider your words and have a reply for you within three days,” he promised calmly, daring to take the Coronal Duke at his words.
”Excellent. In the meantime, any requests for resupply or repair, simply run through any of the Agents or Squires on the ground, and we will take care of them for you, ” Duke Parablum finished without any hint of leverage. ”Are there any specific requests we can take care of for you at this time?”
”Are you artificers capable of repairing our armor?” he asked calmly.
”There will certainly be Mechanists with access to the technology. If you don't wish to leave the zone, there are a large number of psions that Colonel Rantha has included who can engage in fairly sophisticated circuit repair. It should not be difficult for them.”
”Noted. Good day, Your Graces.”
”Captain.” Both men rose as he did, saluted, and the hologram slowly faded.
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Captain Donnal rose to head for the Disk Train that would run him back to his men. He passed by the tunnel being bored quickly through the stone with psionic power, forming a sealed passage that was being laid with tracks to run an electric train back and forth for these supply situations. The progress displays showed it was ninety percent done and should be online within a week. The locomotives and cars were already in place and ready to start being used.
Being two heads taller than an average human, he had no difficulty surveying the area.
Like the fighting zone, the first thing that struck him was the relative youth of the majority of the people moving or waiting around him. Those who were older stuck out, because they were often dressed specifically to designate their positions as lesser psions, complete with the geometric tattoo that indicated their Level.
In his very long career, he had never seen one of these lesser psions with a hexagon, but now he saw several of them... and a very confident, energetic Septagon looking very much like an old man having lost forty years would, pleased and enthusiastic about life.
There were several Ancients visible, the least of them a head taller than most of the others, and always the obvious center of another large group of fighters coming and going. The nymphals shouldn't have been so easy to pick out, but his eye inevitably came to rest on them as he scanned the crowd, as most of them were also in command positions and making no bones about it.
These were virtual children in his eyes, eager to run off to battle and die. He didn't know whether to be impressed at their courage or scornful of their ignorance.
He would see soon enough.
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”You realize she has completely suborned our Orders,” Duke Rimval sighed over their dedicated link.
”Indeed. Were other Chapters to learn of her influence in our halls, it would likely be grounds for treason,” Duke Parablum agreed, but there was no remorse in his voice.
His duty to his Empire and humanity was untouched. His obeisance to the Emperor... had been harmed, that was certain, and he knew it.
He glanced at the Door in his mind, and what lay on the other side of it, terrifying in its power, glory, and ability to change the world for the better.
He could defy many things, but hope was not one of them.
”Agreed.” Duke Rimval had been defeated as well. They had not come to their jobs merely to endure and to resist. They had hoped to achieve things, to make a difference, to raise humanity out of its stagnation towards a brighter end. Resisting someone who seemed to have all the tools to do that was impossible.