---Thirty Minutes Later---
Given the severity of the situation we were facing, I invited leaders from the various galactic nations I was acquainted with to the meeting. Bringing the few who were free to Terra, most people had to teleconference in to join us. Profusely apologizing to everyone for the short notice, I got straight to it and began catching everyone up on current events. Once they were on the same page as the Imperium's leadership, we got to the real heart of the matter.
"Ordinarily, the Imperium of Man would address matters like this ourselves, but this conflict is unlike anything we have fought before. Unlike our normal foes, this one has come wielding an immensely powerful artifact.", I spoke, bringing up an enhanced image of Zephrim's gauntlet. "This orange gemstone here is called the Soul Stone. It is one of seven stones created during the formation of our universe."
"Hold on a moment… Are you referring to the Infinity Stones?!", Rodney McKay from Stargate Command shouted, before frantically typing away on his tablet.
"Doctor McKay, you are aware of these relics?", the Asgardian (Stargate) senator inquired.
Enthusiastically nodding his head, McKay brought up several Ancient documents referencing the stones. According to him, the Ancients had researched the relics extensively in the distant past and even possessed one at some point. Having initially believed they had mistranslated the texts, he was elated to realize they indeed existed.
"What makes these stones special?", Emperor Gid Deviluke inquired.
"The Mind, Power, Reality, Soul, Space, and Time Stones each have dominion over key aspects of our universe. While alone their area of effect is relatively small, the more stones you possess, the greater their power and range becomes.", I spoke, with a grim expression. "If one were to gather all six stones together, the wielder could bend the universe to their will. While I am sure many of you are thinking about how such power could benefit those in need, just imagine if that power were to fall into the wrong hands."
"A double-edged sword they are. Too dangerous for one person to wield alone, they are.", Yoda spoke, nodding his head in agreement.
Vehemently agreeing with Grandmaster Yoda, the Galactic Senate knew the importance of not placing too much power in a single person's hands. Having nearly lost everything to Palpatine in the recent past, they were keen on preventing something similar from happening on a universal scale. Asking McKay and the other scientists if they were in possession of one or more of these stones, the scientists swore they were not.
"If I am following along correctly, all we need to do is take the Soul Stone from the enemy. Is that what you called us here for?", the Algrandian prime minister spoke up.
"While in possession of the Soul Stone, our enemy is nigh omnipotent within the Warp. Most soldiers would have their souls torn out before they got close, and for those who resisted, they would have to contend with hordes of demons. Assuming you get past them, the next issue is the supercharged psykers the enemy is fielding.", I said, bringing up photos of the Space Marine Marauders.
Gesturing towards Yoda and the Jedi Masters, I asked them to share their personal experiences fighting a single Marauder. Stepping forward, the Jedi Masters painted a very bleak picture for everyone. Admitting they were completely outmatched during the fight, if the Marauder had taken them seriously, none of them would be here right now.
"That brings me to the reason for calling everyone here.", I spoke, looking at foreign leadership with a serious gaze. "The best we can tell, the enemy is solely focused on consolidating their power within the Warp right now. Once they have achieved that, they will most likely begin seeking out the other five stones. This means your nations will begin experiencing the same daemon incursions the Imperium has endured for millennia now."
Falling silent, the weight of my words came crashing down upon them like an avalanche. Unlike the Imperium of Man, most galactic nations did not have the means to effectively repel daemonic incursions. If one were to occur within their territory, the only option they would really have is to obliterate the planet. While it might sound extreme, a quick death was preferable to an agonizingly slow one. Quickly descending into chaos, leaders began frantically trying to figure out countermeasures to protect their people.
"ENOUGH!", I roared, shattering the fragile wooden podium in front of me. "I understand you are terrified by this news, but please, control yourselves. Our respective citizens have placed their faith and lives in our hands; we cannot allow despair and fear to cloud our minds. A coordinated effort between our nations is the only way we will overcome this rising threat."
Heeding my words, foreign leadership slowly began to calm down and collect their thoughts. Once most were in a better state of mind, Emperor Gid asked me for my plan.
"Our first goal needs to be the eradication of the Tyranid threat. Fighting both the bugs and hellspawn at the same time is not feasible.", I stated. "Given the vast distance between the main Tyranid force and us, they must be getting to us through a wormhole or other breach. We must locate their entry point, close it, and then purge all traces of them from our region of space."
"The Citadel may be able to assist you in that regard.", Ambassador Jaliramea Caliza said. "We have been working on specialized equipment to detect energy signatures and spatial anomalies within intergalactic space. I will speak with my countrymen about sharing our research and development with you. To be forthright with you, they will likely request some form of compensation. Given the ongoing invasion by ancient, sentient machines, it might come in the form of military assistance."
Thanking Caliza for her assistance, I moved onto step two. As incursions could happen at any place or time, improving communication and early warning systems was crucial. The faster leadership was made aware of an incursion, the sooner help could be sent to the affected plant. While repelling the demons was not possible for every nation, they could attempt to save as many lives as possible before razing the planet.
"The last and most important step is going to be locating the other five stones. That is easier said than done, though, as we do not even know where to begin looking. Just to be sure, no one in attendance today has something that sounds remotely like them, right?", I asked as everyone began shaking their heads. "I figured, but it didn't hurt to ask. With that being the case, the only lead I have then is a Gallifreyan man called The Doctor. Getting in touch with him means taking a very long trip to the Caspiel Empire. My plan is to undertake that journey in a few weeks' time."
"That is fine; it gives Ambassador Caliza time to speak with her people and us to fully process the information you have shared. Before you leave for that region of the universe, I would like to have one more meeting to go over some finer details.", the Algrandian prime minister spoke, shutting his notebook with an exhausted expression. "One last thing before we conclude this meeting, the Algrand Empire would like to make a formal request of you. As everyone present is aware, the regions of space beyond the Citadel have been lost to us for quite a long time. I think it would be beneficial to have you investigate the offline gates in the region where you are headed. At the bare minimum, I would like to see communications be reopened with them."
Agreeing with the prime minister, several other leaders made the same request of me. Swearing to investigate the matter while in the region, I assured them I would update them with my findings. Concluding our meeting there, those who teleconferenced in promptly disconnected, leaving me with the Aeldari, Citadel, and Imperium's leadership. Thanking Ambassador Caliza, Eldanial, and Yvraine for coming on such short notice, the Aeldari representatives thanked me for the invite before returning home.
"Lord Stark, may I request a favor of you?", Caliza asked, giving me an apologetic smile. "Since you are headed in the Citadel's direction, would you consider dropping us off in our region of space? During the brief stop, I will introduce you to our council and make a formal request to assist you."
"Of course, that will not be a problem.", I assured her. "We will be leaving in two to three weeks' time."
Agreeing to my timeframe, Caliza gave me a content smile before heading back to Coruscant. With the main objective completed, now it was time to bring Ferrus Manus back among the living. Calling out to the Iron Hands Chapter Master standing outside the room, I asked him and all the Sons of Manus to enter the Great Hall.
---3rd Person POV, Slaanesh Territory---
Rushing into Slaanesh's palace covered in grave wounds, the Greater Daemon Kanathara weakly cried out to his lord, hoping to get her attention. Not finding her in the garden or throne room, it dragged itself down a myriad of corridors to Slaanesh's private room. Forgoing its master's strict orders, Kanathara burst into the room hoping to find her still alive.
"Who the fuck dares interrupt my slumber!?", Slaanesh snarled, shooting up from her bed entangled with a life-sized body pillow of Victor. "You'd better have a fucking good reason for interrupting my lovey-dovey time with my man!"
Seeing no one standing in the doorway, Slaanesh slowly crawled to the foot of the bed and found Kanathara lying on the floor. Glowering at her Keeper of Secrets with annoyance, she raised her hand to strike him but stopped when she noticed his critical injuries.
"Who did this to you, Kanathara?", Slaanesh questioned, letting go of her body pillow.
"My lady… Please… Run…", Kanathara whimpered, barely hanging onto life. "The enemy… They are after your life… Escape while… You can…"
Watching her cherished subordinate die before her eyes, rage flared up within Slaanesh's heart. Equipping her war gear with a wave of her hand, the Chaos Goddess rushed outside her home to find her palace under attack. Surrounded by an ocean of daemons she had never seen before, she cursed herself for not noticing this sooner. Taking a few steps forward, intending to join the fight, a cold chill suddenly ran down her spine.
"So, you are the abhorrent deity these filthy creatures call a god. I am unimpressed.", Nemesis spoke, sitting atop Slaanesh's home.
"What was that?!", Slaanesh snapped, turning around to refute that comment. "Who are you to judge…"
Seeing the heads of Fulgrim (Daemon Prince) and her other commanders on pikes atop the palace walls, Slaanesh's body began to violently tremble. Unlike the pleasurable sensation Victor gave her, this person made the very essence of her being quiver in fear. Able to tell the difference in their strength immediately, the Chaos God took a cautionary step backward.
"It would appear you are capable of some degree of intelligence. Since I am a merciful being, I will make your death swift if you surrender now.", Nemesis said, as Marauders began blocking her escape routes.
Frantically looking around her, Slaanesh could feel the noose slowly closing in around her throat. Refusing to accept dying here and now, she went with the only option she had left. Having planned for a potential invasion of her territory long ago, there was an emergency teleportation array nearby she could use to escape. Carefully surveying her surroundings, she picked a route to take and immediately took it.
"Haha, how unexpected of a rat to run away. If only I had planned for that…", Nemesis snickered in a venomous tone. "Oh wait, I did! KILL HER!"
Using her agility and speed to weave through the enemy ranks, Slaanesh ignored Nemesis' words and focused on escaping. Approaching the hidden teleportation array at high speed, just as it came into view, a gargantuan hand pierced through the ground. Diving out of the way, the Chaos God narrowly avoided being crushed by falling debris as a Titan revealed itself. Unleashing an ungodly roar that violently shook her private dimension, she momentarily froze in sheer terror.
"DEATH TO THE CHAOS GODS!!", a Marauder howled, cutting a deep gash in Slaanesh's back with his Crucible blade.
Knocking the wind out of her with that blow, Slaanesh's body skipped across the ground like a stone across water. Landing on the teleportation array, she willed herself to utter the activation phrase as her body was racked with immeasurable pain. Coughing out several Aeldari souls, the Chaos God flipped everyone the bird before vanishing in a flash of purple light.
"Interesting, she managed to slip through our fingers and extend her life a bit longer. This is going to be more enjoyable than I thought.", Nemesis cackled, pleasantly amused by this development. "Dispatch a contingent of Agaddon Hunters after the wench; bring her back to me alive. I want to be present when she draws her last breath…"
Bowing their heads, the Space Marine Marauders swiftly left to carry out Nemesis' orders.