Kenthelion: "System, you're amazing. You managed to sort through the human ships lost in subspace."
Kenthelion spoke with excitement after receiving basic information about the people. But this time, a new problem emerged—the number of guards around him was still too small. The rest had gone on expeditions.
Even though he had Kahn, Kahn was still a warrior—not suitable as a personal bodyguard.
Kenthelion: "System, can the Adeptus Custodes, of the human empire from Warhammer be summoned?"
System: "Host, that cannot be done at the moment. However, if you want to secure your surroundings, I recommend two options: the Emperor's Shadow Guard or the Royal Guard."
System:
The Emperor's Shadow Guard is an elite special operations unit composed of Force-sensitive individuals. They are recruited from the Sun Guard and former Jedi who have fallen to the dark side. They serve the Empire and were personally trained by Darth Vander.
The Royal Guard is a professional elite unit under the command of the Empire. They wear deep crimson robes, red helmets, and conceal their identities with red masks. There are only eight of them. They are masters of various martial arts and wield high-tech close-combat weapons. Their loyalty to their supreme leader is absolute.
Kenthelion was well aware of the abilities of both types of royal guards—especially the red-cloaked ones standing behind. Dozens of them, known for their sheer combat prowess, were said to be capable of holding their own even against Darth Vader in close-quarters battle.
He also recalled... weren't they part of Star Wars Legends? That rich Expanded Universe that existed before Disney rebooted the canon. Most of their stories appeared in old novels, classic comics, and RPG systems like Star Wars D6 or Saga Edition.
System: Ding!
> "There are 8 Emperor's Shadow Guards and 24 Royal Guards available for summoning."
Kenthelion raised an eyebrow as he saw the cost flash across the screen—they were five times more expensive than a single Space Marine.
System:
> "All of these guards are professionally trained. While the Astartes are powerful, they rank lower when it comes to personal protection and escort duties."
Kenthelion nodded slowly. Thinking back, the statement made sense.
"Alright then. Summon them all—eight Shadow Guards and twenty-four Royal Guards."
Moments later, two Moon-class vessels emerged from the depths of space, their hulls gliding silently across the void like ghosts in the dark.
"Emperor."
Thirty-two elite guards disembarked and entered the room, their synchronized footsteps echoing with intimidating precision. They positioned themselves neatly at Kenthelion's sides.
"Salutations."
In perfect unison, they bowed before Kenthelion. The movement was sharp, clean, disciplined—an overwhelming display of loyalty.
Kenthelion smiled with satisfaction.
"Excellent. From now on, you will be my shield."
"At your command."
Their reply was resolute, unwavering.
____
Grulfan, his face marred by deep claw marks, stood at the bridge, overseeing the realignment of his fleet. As the ruler of the wealthiest civilization in the Outer Ring, his empire was also one of the most militarized forces in the region.
Beneath him hovered the massive bulk of a Slavemaster-class battlecruiser, stretching 1,500 meters in length. It was bristling with hundreds of turbolasers and kinetic energy cannons, shielded by multiple quantum barrier launchers.
He turned to his officers, voice heavy with doubt.
"Seven full armadas? For that?"
Grulfan furrowed his brow, staring at the holographic display of the target.
"A fledgling human civilization… Isn't that overkill?"
He sneered.
"As usual—orbital bombardment on arrival, torch their cities, kill the men, sell the women into the slave markets, extract the children's organs and dump the bodies. The prettier girls… well, they get the special treatment, then get sold off too."
He waved his clawed hand dismissively.
"So tell me—why are we mobilizing seven armadas? These are ants. Ants can be crushed beneath our feet."
But what Grulfan did not yet realize—was that these "ants" belonged to an empire unlike anything the Outer Ring had ever seen.
The Celestial Imperium of Man had already deployed more than a dozen capital ships—battlecruisers, dreadnoughts, and even vessels larger than any warship his empire had ever fielded.
And they were not here to negotiate.