930.M41.
The Ataya System.
Hylia, orbiting its central star, was a habitable world that had earned a stable position within the Imperium after millennia of terraforming. In the Dictionary of Imperial Taxology, it was described as follows:
Class-α Agri-World. Tax Grade: First-Class Superior.
Al was a young man who had recently taken over the management of the Ranier Megafarm. Lately, the fires of war in the surrounding sectors had been intensifying, and the scope and quantity of the Tithe had steadily increased. If this continued, even the agricultural machinery standing dozens of meters tall wouldn't have enough labor to operate them. He had spent thirty years on this planet, and this land had rewarded him with a peaceful life.
But how much longer could that peace last?
His thoughts were interrupted by a man walking toward him. "Al, how's the situation?"
"It's bad. Two more Astra Militarum regiments have arrived. One is said to be an elite force. There's no doubt their rations will have to come from us."
"Does that mean more fighting?"
"I'm not worried about the fighting itself. I heard them say we've pushed the front line forward again."
"If we really pushed forward, why would this place become a staging ground?"
Al knew what Yuki was implying. His expression turned panicked, and he looked around frantically to ensure no one was listening. "Yuki, you can't just say things like that. If you're caught, especially in these extraordinary times, both you and your wife will be in trouble."
"We aren't married yet." Yuki's focus seemed to be elsewhere.
"Partners, fiancée, whatever. Point is, the two of you are together." Al gestured for Yuki to get into the vehicle to head back to the farm dormitory.
This man who had appeared out of nowhere possessed high intelligence and strong work ethics. Al needed the hands, so even though the man's origins were mysterious, he had taken him in for the time being.
Ninety percent of the Agri-World's surface was farmland. Large urban structures were scarce; most residents were farmers distributed across various megafarms. Historically, Hylia's political system was ruled by the mega-landowner class—those with more land, more machinery, and more serfs held more power. However, over the last thirty years, planetary politics had become meaningless, as the entire world was placed under the direct administration of the Administratum.
"Weren't those traitors dealt with a decade or so ago?"
"It seems they've made a comeback. God-Emperor protect us; I hope the flames of war don't reach us this time."
"What about last time?"
"Last time, a warship got close. Fortunately, they didn't launch an attack on us."
Yuki frowned, feeling a surge of irritation in his chest. Dammit. To escape the pursuit of the Necrons, the remnants of the Aether Fleet had fled blindly, entering the Hive corridor at maximum speed without confirming their direction.
When Yuki emerged from the wormhole, the first thing he saw was a pinprick of light in the galaxy—a vortex-like celestial body. It was the Maelstrom, often called the "Lesser Eye of Terror." Xenos, Chaos, and the Imperium were locked in a frantic three-way slaughter there. A remnant Hive Fleet stood no advantage in such a place.
Worse still, it had only been a decade since the Badab War ended, and the Imperium's defenses in this region remained strict. During reconnaissance, Yuki had spotted traces of several Space Marine Chapters. Forced into a corner, he had to hide the majority of the fleet, while he and Yuno went looking for a suitable place to feed.
"There are over six hundred square kilometers of land to tend tomorrow. The recent crop blight is getting serious. If we can't pay the Tithe, we're all finished." Leaving those words, Al dropped Yuki off in front of a small wooden cabin before driving away in his massive tractor.
Yuki stretched. To be honest, the environment of an Agri-World was much better than a Hive World. Though the view was nothing but golden wheat fields stretching for thousands of kilometers and the ground beneath his feet was reeking and sticky with fertilizer, at least he could see the sky. No matter what the sky looked like during the day, the night sky was always profound—unless the Great Rift appeared, of course. At least he had managed to secure a small cabin.
"Yuno, I'm back."
Yuno was lying on the bed, reading the Lectitio Divinitatus by lamplight. She was thinly dressed, her legs swinging back and forth. She didn't look up, her voice sounding the same as usual. "How is it?"
"The situation is terrible. Those guys say the Imperium is winning, but I suspect the war isn't going well. Huron Blackheart has likely returned."
Huron—a newcomer in the lore, an old-timer in the rulebooks. The Chapter Master of the Astral Claws who turned traitor after being judged by the Imperium and was defeated in the Badab War. After retreating into the Maelstrom to gather strength, he was now returning with his warband and Chaos allies. In the narrative, Huron would occupy most of the planets surrounding the Maelstrom. It seemed Hylia was destined to be one of them.
"Ha, who told us we had the bad luck to run into Szarekh? I've already ordered Hive Fleet Kronos to head this way, but whether they can make it is another story." Yuno closed the book. "But this planet is quite nice. I'm a bit tempted to eat it."
"There are two Astra Militarum regiments stationed here, and two Astartes Chapters can come for support at any time. I don't want to take too many risks."
"Give it a try. At worst, we discard this fleet. I'll put in some effort to bring your consciousness back to the main fleet and resurrect you slowly."
"How long would that take?"
"A thousand or two thousand years? Maybe longer. Your consciousness is currently stored within the Aether Fleet. As long as I don't give up, you're essentially immortal."
"That's too long. I can't wait that long, and neither can you."
Hearing Yuki's words, Yuno's expression softened. "You caught me." She sat up and traced a star map with her finger using psychic energy. "There's a lonely star near this system. It has no companion stars or planets, and the Imperium has no military presence there. We can risk eating that star."
"Using Star-Eaters? Didn't you say those were dangerous?"
"Yeah. We'll take a small risk this time. After all, being with you requires eating, too."
Yuki sighed helplessly. He reached out and touched a skull sitting on the table—the souvenir left for him by the Khorne Champion after he was defeated by Khârn. This should be the skull of a powerful warrior. Instinct told Yuki that by using this object, he could establish a connection with Khorne in the Warp.
"Maybe we should just find a place to summon Chaos and pull another 'strike while they're vulnerable' move."
"Doing that every time will get boring fast."
"Fine. Since things have come to this, let's eat first."
"Eating is the most important thing."