Magus Ariston's Story

Throughout the blackness of space all seemed tranquil. As planets, moons, and debris floated slowly and quietly in the vacuum of infinite blackness a pinhole of light manifested, piercing through the darkness like a beacon.
The center of the hole widened into a slit, cutting across the fabric of space several kilometers wide, finally yawning open like the glowing violet eye of a cyclopean beast awaking from a deep slumber. Lightning and violent outbursts of energy lashed out from the edges of the storm.

Finally, a massive vessel bearing the cross of the crusade and the stylized cog of the cult of technology lurched forth from the yawning maelstrom, followed by an escort of vessels, dwarfed by the Imperial flagship's enormity.
The portal finally closed, snapping shut and disappearing just as it had appeared as the final few vessels exited, leaving the small contingent of vessels floating calmly through the blackness of space, with a view of a new system, uncharted and newly discovered to their empire.

Swarms of scouting craft deployed from all vessels in the flotilla. Like a swarm of bees they scanned the area for potential threats and clearing the area to begin broadcast transmissions.
'This is Helian vessel 'Iron Ambassador' on expeditionary mission hailing all frequencies in this sector.'
The transmission cast far and wide across the area, as binary and several different systems of code broadcast the transmission, notifying any craft of their arrival, and peaceful intent.

The crew waited intently for any response from nearby vessels or listening posts.

The bridge of the Iron Ambassador came to life as the transmission came in from the Stinger. Each operator, connected directly into their consoles by systems of wires leading from feed jacks surgically implanted into their spines went to work immediately on triangulating the source of the signal.

The leader of the expedition spoke.
"Blessings upon you, Josai. I am Fabricator Magus Ariston of the Helian Tech Administration. Our mission is that of the gathering of knowledge."

The flotilla of craft still lay motionless in space, only with support craft and escorts patrolling the nearby areas for potential threats or attack.

Magus Ariston issued out orders to the operators, broadening their search of the area as they began compiling maps of the space around them, not wasting any time to gather as much information on their surroundings as possible. He then re-opened the channel and continued his communication. "There is no limit to our desire to learn, my friend. It is our belief that all the knowledge of the universe already exists, it is simply a matter of reaching out and collecting and learning it all. This is our mission, to learn all that you, and your people have to offer to bring us closer to the machine god."

"Ah, yes!" Began Ariston, sounding prideful at the mention of his ships. "The scions of Helios are masterful craftsmen! And yes, unfortunately the universe is a harsh place, and one must not be caught in such strange and far-flung corners of space without a way to defend one's self and it's people."
The titanic vessel continued to hang in space, dull light radiating from exhaust vents along the spine of the ship. The ambassador was not only a battleship, adorned with rows of powerful broadside cannons and ordinance batteries, but was also a fully-functional forge-ship. Capable of repairing, building and forging weapons, war machines, munitions and a myriad of other things necessary for long voyages into deep space.
"We are seeking to speak with the individual, or individuals that rule over this sector. Are you a person of authority, master toye?"

"Blessings upon you, Mabon. Our probes have detected several points of interest in this sector, however it is our intent to first observe this planet in particular."
He transmitted coordinates, as well as a data feed, if the craft was capable to receive it.
The coordinates and pict displayed would show a hololithic image of Misrana, although it had a lengthy series of numbers as its imperial designation.
"We will allow three rotations of this planet's daily cycle to receive word from your leadership to convene and discuss the terms of a possible cultural exchange between us."
Though Ariston's demeanor was kind over the vox. He secretly damned his own luck, being assigned this fool's errand to scout a backwater planet in some uncharted corner of the universe.
'Did they say... Trashtown?' He asked himself as he awaited a response from the stinger.
He sighed to himself. He could have been overseeing the star forges, working on the Ark, or even on a titan facility. Instead he would barter for whatever scraps of knowledge he could from.... 'Trashtown'.
He rapped his metallic fingers on the arm of his chair in agitation.

"Excellent. We will make haste towards the designated location."
With that, the propulsion drives of the Iron Ambassador sprung to life, causing the titanic vessel to lumber forward, escort ships and fighter wings following suit.

"We await coordinates to the rendezvous point, Master Mabon."

"This is Knight zeta-019 on approach to orbital station requesting clearance to dock."
The transmission came from the transport craft as it entered within range of the orbital station designated as the rendezvous point.
Ariston observed it with a bit of curiosity as they approached it. It was of a curious design, resembling coral, or other similar under sea organic formations.
This was always the tense part of new interactions with new people. The unknown of what they were capable of, what they could be hiding, and what they intended to do once they made landfall.
The security that one of the passengers aboard the craft provided helped alleviate some of that worry, as he turned to look at the white-haired giant that shared the cabin with him, among others.

"Interesting looking structure, don't you think, Lazureth?"

The giant simply nodded in reply, seemingly in a deep state of concentration.

The ship continued its approach, dead air over the vox as an exchange between one of the passengers and Ariston ensued.
Alexander Zakharov, a grizzled inquisitor of infamous reputation had immediate reservations about the alien, as well as the limited escort they provided themselves during the trip to the orbital platform.
It was preferable to Ariston to try to limit the amount of tenseness generated by having a massive warship like the Iron Ambassador looming over their planetary defenses. All the better to prevent a hair trigger response due to a nervous people.

After a few moments, and the calming words offered by Ariston, Zakharov relented and allowed the process to continue.
'The fates surely are working against me.' Thought Ariston. 'To be issued this man to my expedition. Surely they sought to get rid of him for some time, at least.' Which brought him to the same conclusion about himself... would they?
He shook the thought from his head, sending confirmation to the pilots of the craft.

"Magus Ariston agrees to your terms. Beginning docking procedures now." The escort squadron broke formation as the transport craft made its final approach to the strange looking orbital.

"Alright. Put on your best faces, men." Said Ariston, giving a quick glance over to Zakharov, who's appearance was ominous at best due to the exposed bionics and burn scarring across a majority of the man's face and head.
"Do your best, Lord Zakharov."

The crew and passengers looked curiously at the strange organisms as they flew about the craft.
Ariston hoped Zakharov could control his xenophobia so that a proper conversation could take place. It was always a bother to have members of the inquisition on an expedition. As the leader, Ariston had operational authority over the forces delegated to this task.
However, Zakharov had the authority bestowed to him by his office to assume command at any moment if he saw fit to do so. Many potential breakthroughs in the past had been dashed away due to the hot-headed actions of an inquisitor that felt things had strayed too far from the Father's teachings.

The men descended down the boarding ramp that unfurled from the nose of the craft.
The first two were Ariston and close behind him limped the gnarled inquisitor. Both men were of normal human stature, give or take. Ariston wore the crimson robes of the tech administration. Mechanical arms and mechandrites grafted onto his body swayed as he walked. He seemed odd, for his size it was amazing that he could keep balance with the heavy machinery and additional limbs that he carried on his back. Despite the slight slouch in his posture, he didn't seemed burdened by them at all.

Heavy armored boot steps followed close behind the two men, dwarfing them in stature as a trio of crusaders came into view.
Each of them were of enormous size, making the men that walked ahead of them seem diminutive in comparison. In the center was Lazureth, the only of the three that did not wear a helmet. His pitch black eyes scanned the room as they stopped behind the two they were tasked to protect.

Ariston gave a respectful bow to the approaching Misranians.
"I am Fabricator Magus Ariston, These are my advisers, Inquisitor Zakharov, and my large friend over here is Lazureth. We come bearing the Father's blessing."

"Ah yes, Master Magannamus. Our administration deployed probes to scan the deep corners of space, and when we discover planets that contain sentient life, we attempt to make contact with its people."

As Ariston continued his introduction the punishing gaze of the inquisitor fell upon Josai. The glowing red bionic eye constricted to almost a pinhole as it zoomed in, took picts and biometric information on them, as well as the others that stood in attendance at the meeting.

Other than Ariston, who was not of a particularly threatening appearance. The men who comprised his retinue had the appearance of conquerors, soldiers, and military men. Not peacekeepers, although Ariston during his greeting ensured the Misranians that theirs was a mission simply of learning, and peace.

"We intended on arriving much earlier than we did... However, run-ins with the Aschen military made sending exploratory fleets out in this region impossible without unnecessary losses from needless conflicts. I have been told that some aspects of your technology may interest me and my administration, so that is why I am here, simply to observe and study. given your permission, of course."

Magus Ariston Clasped his hands together and gave a courteous bow once more. "Excellent."

As Ariston explained the contents of the ship and allowed them access to board and conduct their search, the three crusaders stood sentinel to oversee the goings-on as best they could.
Of the five that were there, it was the white-haired man that had an aura of mystery about him. His eyes, devoid of any expression, pitch black orbs that made one feel as if their gaze penetrated right through their very being.
He was calm and disciplined, his calm only accentuated by the periodic sound of the rebreather mask on his face hissing quietly as he breathed.

Zakharov stood nearby, crossed arms as he waited for the inspections to end. 'Submitting to the edicts of aliens.' He thought to himself. The old inquisitor could not get past his bias. It was his nature, moreso every inquisitor's nature to suspect the worst from aliens. Humans were not beyond his suspicions either, however in his long years of traveling across the stars, aliens had been some of the most untrustworthy, insidious, and devious beings he had the displeasure of interacting with.
For now, however. He would hold his tongue. These beings have yet to show anything more than the reasonable amount of suspicion towards them.
And they too disliked the Aschen, there was that, at least.

Ariston continued, asking Magannamus a few questions regarding the trip.
"It was brought to my attention that the planet is experiencing some form of civil war. Will this affect our travels on this land at all? If so, to improve the security of our travels I can call upon further support staff to ensure our travels do not come to a tragically abrupt end should we come under attack."

Ariston shuffled across the plascrete yard of the expedition camp. Mechandrites swayed, surveying his surroundings as he surveyed the data that scrolled across his optic.
*sigh*
More insubstantial information regarding local lifeforms and the surrounding fauna and flora of the few areas they were able to survey. He paused and looked out as the west gate of the square compound opened up, allowing one of the survey teams to return from another, surely routine information gathering mission.
The splash of color from the vegitation that surrounded them was a sharp contrast to the grey of the prefabricated base that he and his followers called home.
The tech magus, like many of his kind were not so concerned with grandiose displays of pageantry, unlike the members of the crusade battlefleet.
Of course he flew the heraldry of the crusade, and paid tribute to the immortal father. But the gaudy idols, banners, trophies and other items common to a crusade outpost did nothing but annoy Ariston.

Of course, leave it to Zakharov to remind him every chance he had that the base lacked the majesty that should be displayed by a follower of 'He that is most mighty, our immortal father.'
How he wished he could find that old bastard something to do. But it was best that the gnarled inquisitor focused his baleful gaze on Ariston, rather than being left to his own devices.

The heavy thuds produced by a squad of marching crusaders snapped Ariston from his daze, taking his eyes off of the grasslands beyond the door and refocusing on his work.
Ariston was pleased in the opening weeks of the expedition, learning much about the bio-tech exployed here, but was still unable to grasp the finer concepts of the connectivity with the beasts 'souls' and the tech. Many of the crusade's biological / tech hybrids were more machine than biological. Exhibiting very few of their biological urges, having been scrubbed from memory and replaced with more efficient functions by the machine implements.
But here, technology and biology merged together in harmony, and even something seemingly intangible... 'Souls' were able to direct and power machinery. It was all very intriguing. Although now, he feared he was reaching the limits of his ability to learn from the limited area he was able to survey. He felt like a tourist. It was embarassing to be at the command of a force of one of the most potent military forces in existence, but be limited to 'safe' areas.
His temptation was great when Zakharov suggested he simply subjugate the planet and seize what he needed for his research.... Almost.
But he wouldn't risk his chance of attaining this knowledge by smashing away at the issue like a brute.

He arrived at the landing site and sighed heavily again, tucking his arms into the sleeves of his robes as he stood patiently for the arrival of his guest. He stood next to Lazureth, who greeted him with a nod. He seemed like a child standing next to the white-haired, armored giant. Hopefully the meeting would bear some fruit to liven his mood after this period of stagnation.

A ship made its way across the Kazzei plains towards the expedition camp. Like all Misranan technology, it was half organic. Lengthy tendrils floated in the air behind the bulbous main cabin surrounded by a carapace, resembling in all its entirety, a metal squid combined with some kind of armored insect. Two engines at its side glowed a florescent orange.

As the ship landed, legs thin and three-sectioned, the doors slid away, allowing two aliens outside. Neither was human.

The first was a very hulking and intimidating creature. At fourteen feet in height, he was the child of a human, an armadillo, and a cow. His back was lined with a layered shell, and he stood onto his back legs as a bipedal. His head was boxy, lacking the horns most of his brethren had. His arms were shaped like and bent like any ape's, but the knuckles were tough and bony, like a hoof. Fingers extended out of holes within these hooves. He carried a gun slung across his back, and a machete on his hip.

The second was a great contrast. At first, one would think she was a large bug. Upon closer inspection, the creature zipping through the air was more like a fairy. Her wings were clear and came in two pairs, the smaller helping her change direction. Her skin was purple, and her hair a dark, rich red. She zipped through the air in a small dress that was bare in the back and linked just above her bottom as to not restrict her wings. She landed in front of the larger visitor and smiled, three feet in height, at their hosts.

"Thank you for seeing us! I am Ziziya Mapri, and this is Adou Gor-Lora. I am a malemni and he is a tamroudian, in case you are so confused and had not seen many of our kind before. Pleased to meet you!" she said politely. Her voice, like her figure, was delicate.

Ariston, like many of the human workers that were hustling around the complex paused and stared in awe at the gargantuan creature that emerged from the Misranian ship.
Hushed whispers were exchanged between some of the workers before taskmasters barked the order to return to work.

Of the crusaders present, there was little to no reaction. Continuing their business, or manning their posts without more than a glance in the creature's direction.
Through Lazureth's vox communicator came a voice.
"Tower security suggests additional men for your security detail to protect the Magus."

"That will not be necessary. I am capable of keeping Ariston safe."

"Very well, brother. We will be keeping watch from here."

Ariston averted his gaze from the hulking Tamroudian, focusing on the fairy creature that landed before him. 'What a curious pair' He thought to himself as he bowed in greeting.

"Blessings, Ziziya. I am Magus Ariston. Very pleased to meet you and your.. friend." Ariston paused slightly as he craned his neck to look up at the Tamroudian.
"Indeed I have not had the pleasure of meeting either of your kind personally. This is a pleasure indeed. I have been quite pleased with the diversity of your planet's people. Typically when we make planet fall there are typically only one apex life form to interact with."

As he spoke, his optic implant scanned and cataloged the creature's dimensions and scanned what it could of their biology.

"I was informed of your arrival only shortly before you landed, so forgive me for not preparing a proper welcome for you. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company today?"

Ziziya pressed her hands flat against her sides and gave the men a deep bow. The tamroudian bent to one knee, lowering his head. The malemni had to grin. "Do not be nervous. Adou is a gentle soul. I am the threatening one, really," she joked.

The scans would reveal a fragile and hollow bone structure for the malemni girl, with larger lungs and a small, swiftly beating heart that had four chambers, made out of thinner, leaner fibers. It had more mitochondria to deliver more oxygen. Her arteries were stiffer and more taut than a human's. Her metabolism was amazing.

She was in much contrast with the tamroudian, who's heart was large and beat much slowly and powerfully, like a drum. His liver and pancreas were much larger by comparison to its other organs. Fibers of muscle and skin attached itself to its shell. Its spine was not made up of the same bone that it had in the rest of its body. It was much more flexible, but durable. There was an extra organ, a strange, flat, cylindrical organ nearest to the lowest parts of its rib cage, that did not resemble anything that the men had seen before. An organ that helped the tamroudian send seismic messages to one another. In their fingers there was a high concentration of nerves with somatosensory mechanoreceptors that helped them read these messages.

Both beings were so vastly different, yet they were able to live aside one another with a strange, but functional camaraderie.

"Magna Impus has sent us to come here to check on you all, to ask a few questions. These plains are rife with wildlife. We wanted to make sure that you have not experienced any illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your visit so far. He also would like to inform you that a spaceship had crash landed in our city, and that you must be careful to watch out for such things, as we do not know if this will happen again, or where."

Ariston let out a mechanical chuckle, acknowledging the newcomer's joke. Devoid of any emotion, projected from his vox grille. Though he had once been human, Ariston was now more machine than he was human, and thus had cast away many things he found to be illogical, or a waste of otherwise useful time and energy.
Love, humor, sadness, and similar emotions had been overridden by installed inhibitors. Though some shadows of his former, biological urges still surfaced from time to time.

Reticles formed over an interesting organ within the Tamroudian. Ariston made an immediate note to research the species' further. The crusade was constantly searching for new methods of advancing biological implants and growth treatments to create more effective soldiers. And although it would be an offense to use alien DNA to create these treatments and implant them into a human host, it was not uncommon to replicate similar growth techniques learned with human DNA. The process was much more problematic, and complicated, trying to get the human genome to override its natural tendencies to grow in an alien fashion. But the punishment for ignoring the mandates restricting cross-DNA splicing were too severe to ignore, even for the most ambitious scientist.

"For that I am glad." Said the Magus, straightening his posture after his bow.

"We have suffered nominal injuries and damage since our arrival. No more than usual when encountering new lands and their indigenous species. The dead will be repurposed and return to duty soon enough, it has not put our efficiency outside of normal parameters. I also trust Lord Impus has received my request for research beyond the 'safe zones' and clearance to collect specimens for examination?"

At the mention of the fallen spacecraft, Ariston exchanged a glance with Lazureth, who then turned and regarded the fairy.
The metal-clad giant placed a fist over his heart, his gauntlet clanging against the breastplate in salutation.

"A pleasure to meet you, Ziziya, And you as well, Adou. We will take the appropriate measures to ensure the safety of the compound."
He paused, taking what seemed like a labored breath through the respirator on his face. It produced a hissing noise as the breath was expelled. And though Lazureth's appearance was ominous, he conducted himself as any kind old man would.
"However, considering the political climate, I'm required to ask whether or not this crash was an attack. And if so, should we expect to be targeted by a similar incident."

Ziziya traced her black eyes around Magus' face carefully. "Mayor Impus has approved the request...however..." She let her eyes drop, a contemplative look crossing her delicate features. It had been so strange, that Magna would have done it. Ever since the Lalitia crashed, he...

"...however, he does warn you to be careful. The Supremacy seems on the verge of dropping their policies about harming aliens. Foreigners have been disappearing, as well. We can only watch you and aid you in the areas that Magnus has jurisdiction over. If you move from these areas, if the Supremacy attacks you, then we cannot lend a hand. It will be a declaration of war."

The tamroudian rose to his feet and surveyed the camp with his tiny eyes.

Ziziya continued, "We do not believe it was an attack. The ship held three aliens, one of them a pregnant woman. It seems convenient, however, that they would crash into the City Hall..."

Ariston nodded as the alien explained the situation. At the news of the approved request to venture outside of the safe zones, he immediately queued up a set of commands on the HUD of his optic, immediately assigning resources and orders to the corresponding troops.
"Please send my thanks to Mayor Impus. I am glad to hear that we will finally be able to delve a little deeper and to expand our understanding of this most fascinating world. " The compound began to buzz with activity at the networked command of the magus. "I understand, we would not ask you to go beyond your boundaries on our behalf. Your people have already been so accommodating, we will accept full responsibility for whatever transpires between us and this 'supremacy'." A growing roar of engines heralded the arrival of a wing of crusade transports as they spoke. The newly arrived forces dispatched from the 'Iron Ambassador' were about to land planet side, they would support the magus in his expanding explorations. He began to walk, to clear the landing zone for the vehicles, gesturing for his guests to follow as they walked across the rockcrete landing pad, towards the command center where some ground vehicles awaited them. "I would like, as a token of gratitude to that hospitality to extend an offer of assistance." he said, as the landing craft's heat washed air made his robes billow. "We have many resources that could be employed to help you in finding those responsible for some of these occurrences. We can be discreet, of course."

As the landing craft's ramps unfurled from their housings and released their cargo, a commotion began to stir, seemingly from one individual at the head of a large group of armored men. "OI!" Barked a crusader striding across the landing pad, removing his helm to reveal an olive-skinned man, with a tattooed scalp with an orange mohawk. He gripped a wickedly sharp spear in one hand, stopping to look at the Tamroudian that followed the Magus. ''Oly 'ell! Y'dint tell me th'huntin would be s'good!" He laughed aloud, walking off towards the crusader barracks, disappearing from sight. Ariston looked at the man with a deadpan look on his face. Only when the crusader spoke did his eye twitch slightly, showing the slightest bit of annoyance. He turned and looked back at Ziziya. "If there is a way we can assist, even in repairs to your city hall, please let us know. Now..." He said, clapping his hands together. "What have we on the agenda, my friends?"

Ziziya's gaze followed the man with the orange Mohawk for a while. The tamroudian snorted his displeasure with what he considered a racist insult.

"For now we are going to be alright. We have investigators already trying to figure out the origin of both the craft and the nature of the aliens that were inside. We will have an easy time repairing the city hall with our technology. However! I believe we must concentrate on your camp. I also have a small message-" She slipped something out of the pocket of her dress; a small item that was the size of her whole palm, round, flat, and clear, and held it out to Ariston. "You must look at that in private.

"Ah! But that is not all I have to say. The city of Zanzaria is famous for its entertainment. If you and your..." She gave a look around the camp, eyeing the large amount of men walking around. "...men... believe that things are getting a little drab, we have a fine selection of alulan and human entertainers that may fit your needs."

Ariston nodded, bowing slightly. "Very well. If at any point you require any assistance, we would be glad to repay you for your hospitality."
As the two spoke, Lazureth heard the all-too-familiar howling of Lukas Orion, turning as the crusader made his usual boisterous entrance. The old man was somewhat pleased to see the orange-haired helldiver, but somewhat troubled for what it may mean for the relations between the forces here and the native people. Lukas was never one to hold his tongue, or his blade, and always had a knack for offending anyone in earshot of him.
"Ah yes, the camp then, very well." Continued Ariston as Ziziya slipped him the small, round item. He held the small object in his hand and observed it for a moment before a mechandrite tentacle looped over his shoulder, gently grabbing the object before slinking back under his robe. "Thank you, I will do as instructed." As she spoke of entertainment, Ariston's expression became slightly confused, as if the representative began to speak in a foreign, unknown language. He gave a momentary look up at the massive, White-haired crusader at his side, as if to ask: What did she just say? He no longer had any concept of what recreation meant. Everything was time schedules, efficiency reports, and numbers to him. Any time spend not completing one's task was time wasted, and time wasted was an affront to the Machine God. Lazureth took a moment and explained the concept to him telepathically, though it would seem as if the two were just staring at each other for a seemingly uncomfortable amount of time. Finally Ariston turned and shook his head, refusing the gesture. "Oh, no that will not be necessary. Such things are not conducive to remaining at optimal effic--" A large hand placed on his shoulder stopped him mid-sentence as the armored giant interjected.
"The men here are not machines, Magus. Perhaps it would motivate them to work harder if they were given some time to relax and reap some of the rewards of their hard work in the name of our Father and your Machine God."

"Our efficiency will suffer." Responded Ariston curtly.

"For the moment, perhaps. But you must understand that your efficiency will suffer regardless if you work these men into the ground, lord. Instead, consider this. A moment of inefficiency may cause your men to work harder, having been motivated by the gesture, providing you with increased efficiency in the future. We are, just human after all, Magus. Even your machine god embodies duality, there must be a time for computation, and a time for maintenance. Consider this a time for maintenance and I am sure you will be rewarded."

Ariston paused for a moment and considered this. The old man's words were wise, and managed to appeal to him despite his contentions against the idea of rest periods other than the regimented sleep cycles assigned to the workers.

"Very well then. I will have you take charge of the arrangements for the... 'maintenance'." The robed man's words hung over the last word as if he was reconsidering the idea. The thought was immediately shoved away after a loud crash was heard coming from the crusader's barracks. Howling laughter could be heard coming from inside the building as the doors swung open as a pair of crusaders rushed inside to investigate the commotion. Ariston looked up to Lazureth and was returned a nod. The magus turned to Ziziya and bowed. "I apologize, but I must attend to something at once. Lazureth will act in my stead while I am away. I will return as soon as all matters are attended to."
With that, Ariston shuffled away in the direction of the barracks, though immediately afterwards he would retreat to his quarters to inspect the object given to him.

Lazureth smiled at the two, though his mouth was covered by the raspy re-breather mask he wore. The wrinkles at the corner of his eyes gave him the look of a kind old man. As kind as one could appear when one was dressed for war, with eyes as black as an abyss.
"You must excuse Ariston. In his search for knowledge, he at times forgets that some are not as tireless as he." He raised a hand and gestured towards a central building in the camp where the officers of the crusade congregated. Please, let us discuss these matters away from the landing pad. There is far too much commotion out here."