Kenthelion
"Come on, Jack. Show me… how much your family means to you."
With a cold glare, Kenthelion stared into the dark forest ahead. Beside him, Neytiri and their children were bound tightly, their bodies grimy, yet their eyes still burned with the fierce courage of the Na'vi.
Behind Kenthelion, the Inquisitors stood alert, guarding the emperor from all sides. One of them suddenly narrowed his eyes, spotting a shadow moving among the trees.
Inquisitor
"Heretic detected! I repeat, heretic detected!"
Automated searchlights immediately swept over the slender blue figure stepping slowly out of the forest's darkness. Jack Sully.
Kenthelion
"At last… you've come."
The emperor smirked faintly, satisfaction clear on his face as Jack approached the city's outer wall, just beyond the main defensive perimeter.
Jack Sully
"Hey, RDA! We're done here! What do you want now?!"
With a furious expression and a voice full of tension, Jack glared at the uniformed troops standing guard on the defensive wall. But the one who answered wasn't just any soldier.
Colonel Miles Quaritch
"Jack… how could you turn your back on me now?"
Another voice echoed. Colonel Miles Quaritch stepped out from behind the barricade, standing tall atop the wall, his gaze piercing into Jack's.
Colonel Miles Quaritch
"You've insulted His Majesty the Emperor. Now you and your gang of blue monkeys will pay the price."
Jack clenched his fists, his eyes flickering toward Neytiri and their children.
Jack Sully
"Blue monkeys? They have hearts, they have minds. They're intelligent! They're… they're more human than you!"
Kenthelion sneered sharply. He stepped forward with grace, his body clad in glowing golden armor radiating an aura of power and domination.
Kenthelion
"Since when did filthy aliens like those deserve to be compared to true humans?"
Jack Sully
"So you… are the Emperor?"
Inquisitor
"How dare you utter His name so casually! Insulting the Emperor is an insult to all mankind!"
Jack Sully
"He doesn't deserve to be called Emperor. He's just a crowned monster."
Inquisitor
"Impudent! Heretics like you want to die here and now?! Your Majesty, allow me to torture this traitor as a warning!"
The inquisitor drew his weapon, ready to act, but Kenthelion raised one hand slowly, stopping him.
Kenthelion
"No. I want to speak with him. Personally. Both of them."
Inquisitor
"As His Majesty the Emperor commands."
A thunderous roar echoed through the night sky, booming like the wrath of a god. From Kenthelion's palm, Aetherion energy pulsed, then exploded into a lightning strike that hit the ground just a few meters from Jack's feet.
The blast shook the earth. Reddish-brown soil lifted into the air, throwing up dust and a shockwave that forced Jack to leap back and take a defensive stance. His expression shifted, becoming that of a wild, furious Na'vi warrior.
Kenthelion
"Look at yourself now... Once a man, now kneeling before an alien race. Betraying your own blood and identity for creatures not even from this earth!"
Jack Sully
"They're human too! They love, dream, fight… they live like us!"
Kenthelion
"Is that why you kill your own kind? Because you see them as the same?"
Kenthelion's voice shifted. No longer dripping with sarcasm or arrogance, it grew heavy and intimidating, filled with an unseen force that pressed down on anyone who heard it. Even Jack—veteran of war and death—felt a chilling tremor crawl down his spine.
Jack Sully
"We won't back down! We'll fight to our last drop of blood for this land!"
Kenthelion
"This land? Land that doesn't belong to your ancestors? Seems like you've forgotten who you really are, Jack."
Kenthelion raised his hand, pointing toward Neytiri, still bound and struggling. The emperor's towering form, clad in the Emperor of Mankind armor, loomed far above the Na'vi. Over five meters tall, bathed in a golden aura of human grandeur, he looked like a god before these mortal beings.
He glanced at an Inquisitor nearby. The Inquisitor moved swiftly, dragging Neytiri to Kenthelion's side. With one hand, the emperor lifted her body like a ragdoll.
Kenthelion
"That's your wife, isn't it? Then let me show you the cost of your defiance."
Slowly, Kenthelion's hand squeezed the air around Neytiri. The Na'vi woman began to choke. Her body tensed, eyes widened, breaths coming in desperate gasps.
Neytiri
"He...lp me... Jack...
With her last strength, Neytiri tried to kick Kenthelion's armor. Only the harsh clang of metal echoed—and a sharp cry of pain from her own leg. Nothing could pierce the sacred armor of the human emperor.
Kenthelion
"Look at the creature you protect. Weak. Unworthy. They need my permission just to breathe."
He didn't kill Neytiri—not that it would be easy. Instead, he inflicted spiritual torment: choking off the air to her lungs, letting her live but suffer in suffocating agony, losing control over her own body.
Kenthelion tightened his grip.
Neytiri
"A-aah... aah... a-aah...!"
Her screams cut through the night, slicing into Jack's heart.
Jack roared in fury and charged toward the wall, attempting to strike Kenthelion with bare hands. But before his fist could reach the emperor, a crushing blow from a red-armored guard slammed into him, sending him crashing backward.
Kenthelion
"Looks like you still don't realize your mistake, Jack."
Jack struggled to rise, breath ragged. He stared at Kenthelion, eyes burning with anger and desperation.
Jack Sully
"If you hurt her... if you kill her, my entire tribe won't let you walk away!"
Trying to keep calm, Jack searched for a weakness in the human's cruelty. He pinned his hope on Neytiri's role as the clan's leader, thinking it could be leverage.
Jack Sully
"She's the Tsahìk... our spiritual leader. If she dies, there will be no peace left on Pandora. I'm sure you don't want a full-scale war either, do you? You're here to mine, right? For resources?"
Kenthelion studied Jack for a long moment, then exhaled slowly. His tone was cold, flat.
Kenthelion
"Jack, you're too young to understand the real world. Tell me—why do you think your tribe has lasted this long?"
Kenthelion
"Your warriors dwindle by the hour... while our forces grow by the minute. They never end."
He stepped forward, his armor rumbling softly with every step.
Kenthelion
"And one more thing... do you really think we came here to mine?"
Kenthelion gestured broadly with one hand, pointing to the rows of heavily armored soldiers, the surveillance drones hovering in the air, and the massive carrier ships dominating the sky above.
Kenthelion
"Look around you, Jack. Does any of this look like a mining operation to you?"
Jack fell silent. The tension in his chest tightened. Kenthelion's words... they made too much sense.
Jack Sully
"So... this is war?"
Kenthelion
(leaning in slightly, eyes piercing)
"This is judgment."
Jack Sully
"But we won't surrender! We'll fight to the end! Ava will protect us! All the tribes of Pandora will unite!"
Suddenly, Kenthelion chuckled—a deep, heavy laugh echoing from beneath his war helmet. His voice reverberated across the valley. Even some of the troops around him laughed upon hearing that name.
Kenthelion
"Ava...? Still putting your faith in some primitive god?"
Kenthelion stared straight at Jack through his helmet. His voice was calm, but laced with cold menace.
Kenthelion
"Let me tell you a story, Jack. A true story."
Kenthelion
"Once upon a time, there were two civilizations. One, a planetary civilization—limited, confined to exploring only their land and seas. The other, a galactic civilization—capable of crossing stars, conquering worlds."
Kenthelion
"One day, the galactic civilization planned to attack the planetary one. But they were shocked—the planet struck first. A genius scientist from that planet managed to unravel their technology."
Kenthelion
"And while they awaited retaliation, the planet built thousands of warships. They thought they were ready."
Kenthelion
"But when the invasion began... none of it mattered. The galactic armada came, and with a single strike... they were all wiped out. Not by superweapons. But by impact. Crushed in the oldest way possible—orbital collision."
Kenthelion paused, silence thickening the air. Jack could feel death looming.
Kenthelion
"That's the reality, Jack. No matter how united you are, no matter how hard you pray to Ava. Before technology, faith is just a whisper."
Jack Sully
"What do you mean by 'judgment'?"
Jack shouted, his body trembling with a mix of anger and confusion.
Suddenly, a sharp scream tore through Pandora's sky.
Neytiri
"JACK!!"
Her cry shattered the night as Kenthelion's grip on her neck tightened.
Kenthelion
"Because this is your end. I prefer to call it... a dimensional reduction strike."
He lifted his head, voice booming like a war god descended upon the mortal world.
Kenthelion
"What you call 'the planet's will,' 'tribal alliances,' or even 'great spirits' sounds grand... but—unfortunately—the technological gap between us cannot be bridged by courage. Or prayer."
In an instant, Kenthelion flexed his arm. Neytiri struggled, kicking and writhing, but her slender body couldn't resist the tyrant's overwhelming power.
Neytiri
"Ugh—kghhh—!"
Foam bubbled at her lips. Her eyes widened before slowly closing. Her body went limp.
Kenthelion
(calm, cold)
"Your child is still with me, Jack. I suggest you don't act recklessly. But of course... if you want revenge—I'll gladly welcome it."
Then, as if Neytiri were nothing more than an old ragdoll, Kenthelion tossed her body toward Jack like garbage. It hit the ground with a dull thud that silenced the entire crowd.
Jack Sully
"Neytiri... NEYTIRI!"
He dropped to his knees, clutching her cold body in his arms. His eyes burned red. The world seemed to crumble around him.
Slowly, he stood, hoisting Neytiri's body before stepping silently into the forest. Quiet. Broken.
From behind the ruins and smoke, Kenthelion grinned.
Kenthelion
"The plan worked."
The Pandorans stared in horror, unable to grasp the kind of power they were facing.
Narration
He—Jack Sully—had betrayed humanity. But what awaited him now was not forgiveness... but endless suffering.
A stormtrooper officer stepped forward.
Stormtrooper Officer
"Emperor, what about the alien children? The potential warriors from the tribal clans?"
Kenthelion didn't answer immediately. He summoned an Inquisitor standing beside him—clad in black armor with a crowned skull emblem on the chest.
Kenthelion
"Inquisitor... did you bring the Penitent Engine?"
Inquisitor
"Your Majesty, the Adepta Sororitas have five units. All combat-ready."
Kenthelion
"Good. Activate them. Let's provide some... entertainment. For those little traitors."
Inquisitor
(bowing)
"As Your Majesty commands."
As the Inquisitor left, the familiar voice of the System echoed in Kenthelion's ear.
System
"Host... what are you planning? This is too... extreme. You can't—"
Kenthelion
"It's clear. I want our protagonist... utterly broken."
System
(silent for a moment, then resigned)
"…Fine. I shouldn't have asked."
---
Penitent Engine
The Penitent Engine is a massive bipedal war machine used by the Ecclesiarchy to punish heretics who have committed grave sins against the Imperium. Unlike regular combat vehicles, these machines aren't piloted by trained soldiers or war heroes, but by traitors—those whose crimes are so horrific that imprisonment, exile, whipping, or even death are considered too lenient.
The pilots of the Penitent Engine endure the harshest punishments imaginable under Imperial doctrine: living in endless torment until forgiveness is granted… or death comes to claim them.
These mechas are typically deployed by the Battle Sisters as heavy fire support, playing a role comparable to that of the Dreadnoughts within the Space Marines. However, unlike Dreadnoughts, which are revered as honorable vessels for nearly fallen heroes, the Penitent Engine is a brutal symbol of shame and redemption.
The pilots are permanently mounted at the front of the machine, without any protection. They are left completely exposed to enemy fire. No shields, no enclosed cockpit—only fragile bodies bound by metal and implants. Their fate, whether life or death, rests solely in the hands of the God-Emperor.
Many of them are former members of the Ecclesiarchy itself: corrupt priests, battle nuns who failed their duties, or those responsible for civilian deaths due to negligence or loss of faith. For this reason, the Battle Sisters often regard the Penitent Engine as a sacred means of atonement—a chance for their fallen brethren to be purified through the fires of battle.
Optical nerve implants and chemical injectors are embedded directly into the pilot's spine and brain. When not in combat, these chemical systems continuously inject pain and guilt into their minds—relentlessly reminding them every second of their sins.
But once they enter the battlefield, this function changes. The pilot's body is flooded with stimulants, adrenaline boosters, and various chemicals that allow them to survive severe injuries—all while still feeling every ounce of pain endured. There is no fear. No hesitation. Only a single drive: to seek forgiveness through slaughter or death.
Such is the brutal justice of the human Imperium—where redemption is not a blessing, but suffering endured until the end of life.
Therefore, Penitent Engine pilots drive their war machines straight into the heart of enemy forces, heedless of danger. They are driven by one absolute desire: redemption. They believe that only by massacring the enemies of the God-Emperor, or dying in battle, can their sins be atoned for.
During combat, the chemical injectors embedded in their bodies pump massive amounts of stimulants—adrenal boosters, pain inhibitors, even rage-inducing agents—into the pilot's system. This is done not only to sustain their physical functions but also to ensure they experience every wound and agony as part of their terrible penance.
These substances are strong enough to keep the pilot in a semi-conscious state, yet mentally unhinged enough to charge into enemy front lines with hysterical screams, spewing blood and tearing everything in their path. They fight without strategy—only the instinctive drive to atone through slaughter.
> Kenthelion
"Bring them here. Bind the four aliens—on the heads of the Penitent Engines."
> Inquisitor
"As you command, Your Majesty, Emperor."