On Dakora-7.
Everything in the Governor's palace was feverishly prepared for the arrival of the Bastion captain. She arrived aboard a Medivac, a transport and medical vessel.
Captain Guerra is a woman shaped by a difficult life. She hails from a hive world similar to the one she now visits. She grew up in the lower levels – the Underhive – an industrial and social hellscape of rubble, radiation, toxins, mutants, and ruthless gangs.
She was the daughter of a factory chimney sweep. She never knew her mother, and her father never spoke of her, as if he himself did not know what had become of her. Growing up, she learned from her father, whose skin was blackened by soot ingrained after years in the ducts, that grime was a second skin. She did not know then that her father's skin had once been the same color as her own.
After her father's death, she inherited his grim work. She carried it out without a word, as if this miserable life were her fate. But when she saw her father's lifeless body, her eyes, already reddened by toxic gases, could not hold back their tears. Yet, she uttered no cry. Silently, the young girl picked up her father's tools and marched with the other workers towards the hell of the chimneys.
Then, the warriors of Bastion arrived. The population of the Underhive was unaware their world was about to be conquered. They discovered it via drones projecting the hologram of a powerful man in magnificent midnight blue armor.
Julius Braveheart's voice boomed: "I am Julius Braveheart, Lord Commander of Bastion. I have come to unite this world under my banner. Unfortunately, the lords who rule you have refused my outstretched hand. Therefore, from this moment, this world is under the authority of Bastion."
Her world was conquered in a month. Bastion brought far more advanced technology. The lords didn't even have time to raise an army. The shields they boasted of were disabled, and their troops from the upper levels were swept aside by Todd clones (the Death Troopers) and Terran soldiers in their CMC power armor, supported by Marauders and their superior technology.
Guerra's life, which she thought was destined for an obscure death like her father's, was completely transformed. Before her eyes, Terran VCS (Variant Cargo System) machines repaired and built everything. No more back-breaking labor. Environmental purification was undertaken, eradicating crime and mutation. Bastion's troops methodically cleansed every corner of the hive, from the outside in. Psykers were forcibly conscripted into Ghost units, regardless of age or power. Other citizens were redirected to institutions to identify their skills.
Guerra chose the military. Becoming a Marine, she studied with absolute rigor, determined to change her destiny. Her android instructor discovered her gift for aeronautics. She became a pilot and mastered the entire Terran fleet:
· Medivac: Transport and healing.
· Viking: Versatile fighter transforming into a walker.
· Banshee: Stealth ground-attack fighter.
· Battlecruiser: Heavy battleship, capable of teleportation and extremely powerful.
· Raven: Technological support drone.
She accomplished great feats of arms. After 43 years of service, she stood before the Lord Commander in person. She received the rejuvenat treatment and the title of Captain of a Battlecruiser, with Kala as her tactical officer and right hand.
Thus, when the Governor's son, Urek, invited her, he had no idea that Guerra was far older than she looked. But Guerra, knowing all too well the deceptive appearances and vices of corrupt elites, understood immediately why he had invited her. She accepted precisely for that reason: her agreement was not submission, but the first step in a calculated infiltration.