Chapter 671: Moving the Stars
A nearly imperceptible hum of servo-motors emanated from Ryo's mechanical chassis as his multi-spectral optical sensors locked onto the Eldar Ranger's psychic projection. He bypassed any direct acknowledgement of his logistical constraints, his synthesized voice maintaining its customary, unwavering baseline: "Lady Elandir, prophecies are notoriously steeped in metaphor. You claim to offer assistance. In concrete terms, what exactly can you provide?"
Elandir offered a shallow nod, her features shaped by the detached serenity of one who had witnessed the turning of ages. "In the ancient epochs, during the glorious zenith before our Empire collapsed into the maw of its own arrogance and darkness, moving stars and traversing the celestial void was no difficult feat for the Aeldari."
Her words sent a ripple of precise calculations through Ryo's logic core.
He was fully aware of the staggering technological heights the enigmatic species had achieved before their fall. Moving stars? At their apex, they could effortlessly rewrite physical constants, playing with entire star systems in the palms of their hands. Elandir's implication did not reveal an unknown secret; rather, it surgically highlighted a possibility he had temporarily archived.
"Moving stars..." Ryo's synthesized voice repeated the phrase evenly. There was no trace of embarrassment at having his dilemma exposed, only the tone of a scholar revisiting a familiar thesis. "Yes, I am acquainted with Aeldari achievements in Webway architecture and reality-weaving. Fragments of those sealed arts must surely survive."
As his optical lenses remained fixed on Elandir's projection, his internal logic threads reconstructed his operational paradigms at an unprecedented velocity.
A bolder, radically absolute blueprint began to take form. Since deploying massive expeditionary forces across dimensional thresholds was prohibitively expensive and fraught with risk, why not invert the equation? If Eldar technology—or some ancient relic they safeguarded—could provide sufficiently powerful spatial anchoring, why not simply "peel" the target planet out of its native dimension and "drag" it directly into the Warhammer universe?
This would not merely eradicate the impending Predator Vengeance Hunt; it would allow him to swallow their entire martial species, their complete technological tree, and their biological secrets whole. The yield would be the total value of two complete realities.
Elandir acutely caught the chillingly grandiose concept flashing across Ryo's consciousness. A flicker of imperceptible astonishment graced her elegant features, swiftly melting into profound comprehension.
"The prophecies guided me to you, Honored Magos. It appears they were even more precise than I anticipated. Your conception touches upon ancient taboos, yet it is not entirely impossible."
A deep, resonant thrum emanated from Ryo's chassis. "Prophecy is your compass, while resources and knowledge are my prime directives. Ulthwé perceives the necessity of our alliance to navigate this 'expedition' concerning your species' fate. I, in turn, perceive the utility of ancient Eldar wisdom in solving my current logistical bottleneck. We both have demands." He paused, his tone unhurried. "How, exactly, do you intend to support my endeavor to harvest this distant radiance?"
Elandir tilted her head slightly. "When the celestial sea requires rearrangement, forgotten arts may provide the fulcrum you seek. But before we discuss moving stars, Honored Magos, Ulthwé must ascertain the location of this promised dawn. We yearn to know: how will you chart a path home for eternal wanderers, one free from the dark pursuit?"
Precision gears whirred within Ryo's frame as countless variables were coldly simulated. He understood the desperate yearning of this ancient race: to break the eternal curse of the Dark Prince who fed upon their souls. Through rigorous deduction, the ultimate solution was glaringly obvious—they had to completely evacuate this Chaos-infiltrated universe and relocate to a dimension entirely beyond the Ruinous Powers' reach.
This realization aligned flawlessly with his inter-dimensional initiative. Two apex civilizations had found perfect symmetry.
"An eternal hunt is tethered to the hunting grounds," Ryo stated, employing a disciplined metaphor. "If a wandering fleet can anchor in a tranquil sea entirely untouched by the warp's storms, they naturally sever the scent from the predator pursuing them. If your arts can truly assist me in 'redrawing the star map,' then delineating a permanent, storm-free harbor for a 'wandering fleet' within that new chart is entirely negotiable."
A microscopic tremor rippled through Elandir's projection. She grasped the staggering weight of his words instantly—an entire Craftworld could achieve eternal salvation.
"A sea untouched by storms..." she echoed softly. "Honored Magos, the blueprint you illustrate... its implications are too profound. I must carry your 'promise' and your 'star map' in their entirety to the helmsmen of Ulthwé and the Farseers who watch over the river of fate."
A heavy silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the subtle whir of precision machinery. Ryo had laid his most powerful chips on the table. Now, the Eldar required time to weigh an opportunity potent enough to rewrite ten thousand years of exile.
What specific ancient Aeldari relic do you believe Ulthwé will offer to anchor the massive dimensional displacement Ryo requires?