Soul of Searing Steel

In the seas of vacuum between the stars of Stellaris filled with thin misty dust, a fringe galaxy, the Old Langma nebula between sector 76 and 78, was once the home of a starfaring civilization known as the Langma Union. It did not fall to the spawn of Evil Gods, but to a manmade supernova detonation more than 300,000 years ago instead—a single flawed ritual along with extreme coincidences had sent the solar energy spell the Union used into disarray, with the extradimensional Psi effects causing a chain explosion across the twenty stars they controlled, destroying all their core domains and colonies in eight minutes.

It may have been stupidity or bad luck, but what should theoretically not have happen had instantly killed 87 billion Langmas. The dust of their stars converged into a complex nebula that extended incessantly, whereas the souls and Psi of the Langmas unfurled in the nebula, condensing into a single tiny psionic star—the sudden, unprecedented death did not allow time for the Langma to experience the emotions of outrageousness and rage before being reduced to dust, which was why the psionic star was rather pure, even acting as a beacon for vessels that guided those who came later across the nebula of tragedy.

But now, 300,000 years later, as the psionic star was about to die, the Old Langma nebula also saw the arrival of new, unexpected guests: Chaos spawns were coming from the Void beyond, destroying whatever they could feel, and the nebula became their lair. They did not have to worry about the substantial psionic static within Old Langma even if it complicated navigation for ordinary fleets and denied them the guidance of the psionic star—the Old Langma therefore became a hiding place of Chaotic evil, a forbidden zone for civilizations nearby.

But now, a massive and unique fleet was moving through the nebula itself, with a G-shaped ship at the center of their formation. Its bow of more than 25 kilometers tall was ejecting a phantom-like stream of Psi and advancing through the vacuum, a fresh red raging flame painted on its hulls.

It was the strike team called Blaze.

A small scout ship could be seen warping out from a distant nebula. It approached the fleet after exchanging signals, before docking into the massive warship. Its data vault was then connected, with volumes of information being transmitted.

"Is that so? The psionic star has perished completely, but the Chaos spawns have also disappeared entirely."

On the bridge command, an elderly Tanyan that resembled a cicada shook its feelers and calmly read the information recorded from the reconnaissance. "That means there's no hostiles in all of Old Langma," he muttered. "With 27 scout ships reaching the same conclusion from every direction, it should be the truth, unless they have evolved some new ability."

After a moment of thought, a cold mechanical voice extended from the Tanyan chest with the humming of the translating machine. "All ships speed up. We are leaving the inner nebula and warping towards the next objective."

"Yes, sir!" a synchronous response sounded. Orders were relayed, and the entire Blaze fleet of more than 2900 ships equipped with Star Destroyer cannons turned slightly before accelerating towards the outer nebula.

Having no targets here, they would simply proceed to the next mission—the strike team was very much the Stellar Guard's white blood cells, with the objective of culling the bacteria called Chaos from the territories of the Alliance.

No one else aboard had a different opinion to Kedar's command either. Each of them was selected from elites and possessed the best qualities along with combat awareness, while Kedar himself who had been entrusted with commanding the Armageddon-class Star Destroyer was a five-star fleet commander, and a powerful psionic who was the elite of elites. Having been fighting for over 45 years, leading three fleets in 102 battles against the Chaos and awarded the First-Class Medal of the Alliance, none would have doubted his orders for no reason. That includes Faya the Midgardian, vice commander of the ship and leader of Engineering, who would have unconditionally trusted his old and experienced commander.

But today was an exception.

***

Being a Midgardian with more carotene in his body, the leaves over Faya's head were colored orange-yellow. At the moment, he was pretending to be unconcerned even though he was filled with worries, slipping glances at Kedar who appeared calm and normal.

The worries had not started today. To be specific, it was after that mission handed to the Blaze fleet that Faya began to worry about Kedar's mental state. After all, it was not as if anyone could remain normal after witnessing their homeworld being blasted into pieces, and more frighteningly, with the one who gave the command being Kedar himself—not to mention that his only heir, the grave of his wife, and the last remains of his friends were left on that planet corrupted by Chaos.

It was very much the worst day a person could have experienced.

Following such torment, the greatest abnormality would have been to remain normal—and that was why Faya had requested a leave period from the Alliance military's hierarchy in Kedar's stead, along with professional psychological care. However, perhaps due to recent direness of the war, the orders never came, and Kedar was still running around with the fleet, culling the Chaos.

Still, it was nothing, since Faya believed that having Kedar continue fighting Chaos spawns was fine as it allowed him to vent his anguish and rage—through a normal channel, at least. However, perhaps due to the overwhelming success of the Great Turnaround and the destruction of the Permanent Void Anchor Points, a drastic change occured amongst the Chaos spawns: the Eastern Quadrants were assaulted heavily, while the spawns at the Southern Quadrants where the Blaze fleet was positioned had all retreated, leaving empty lairs and fully devouring stars and planetary systems.

"Damn it, even the Chaos spawn in Old Langma is gone… we haven't had a fight for weeks!"

Faya felt pain within him, assuredly aware that Commander Kedar's misery and rage had yet to recede. He had seen Kedar taking out old family photos and staring blankly at it during idle periods, while his psionic presence occasionally emanated words like 'Permanent Void Anchor Points' or 'Starsplitter Fleet', making it fully evident he was unwell.

There was not much to say about the Permanent Void Anchor Points', since those were Void portals which lasted indefinitely, keeping various Void positions connected. It was the major source for Chaos reinforcements, and every moment it was open, Chaos forces that could only be destroyed over hundreds of different battlegrounds simultaneously poured out. The Life Preservation Sequence had calculated and confirmed that the war could never have been won as long as those portals were not destroyed, and hence executed the Great Turnaround: The Stellar Guard had sent all forces in a direct confrontation that kept most of the Chaos forces at bay, but they were just a diversion—elite troops would perform long distance warping, launching a suicidal ambush on the Permanent Void Anchor Points.

In turn, the Starsplitter Fleet was one of the armadas involved in the suicidal ambush of the Great Turnaround. Most of the troops were loners with neither friends nor kin, or had lost them to the Chaos. Out of the eighteen armadas, only one of their detachment survived and kept their designation, while every other fleets died in battle with honor, their names and careers marked in the Stellar Guard's memorial plaque.

From Faya's perspective, Commander Kedar had undoubtedly no will to live: he wanted join the Starsplitters, carrying out all manners of lethal missions and dying in the process. Perhaps that was why the transfer orders never came too—Kedar had already applied to transfer, and the military hierarchy welcomed such resolve to die, not to mention that an experienced veteran joining the Starsplitters was a major blow against the Chaos. 

Nonetheless, Faya was very worried about Commander Kedar's mental state after weeks without any battle. The rationality of psionics could perhaps be destroyed in the absence of an outlet for their rage, and with Kedar being an Omega-class psionic, he could wreck their Star Destroyer single-handedly.

"Don't worry, Faya. For better or worse, I'm an old solider who has fought for four decades," a translated mechanical voice called out to Faya suddenly, despite the latter believing that he had hidden his thoughts well. Looking up in surprise, he realized that Kedar had turned to him, his feelers hovering as he said, "I'm really fine. You don't have to worry about my mental state."

"You… you can read my thoughts?" Faya felt an embarrassment of being seen through at first, before a rising sense of astonishment. "It's recent but I'm Omega-class too…wait, could it be...!"

The leaves over Faya's head shrank as a possibility occurred to him.

"You've ascended to Perpetuator?!"

Perpetuators-class were Omega-class psionics who had risen beyond the ability to fight individually with the power of celestial warships, true champions who could decide the outcome of a battle alone. Such class of psionics were rare even amongst the Stellar Guard with no more than forty of them in total across over 8000 starfaring civilizations—most of them were leaders of their respective races too, and would not have fought.

Yet, for Kedar to have reached Perpetuator would have meant that he had truly kept his emotions controlled and not descended into madness… which would have been a great thing.

"Perhaps I've just broken through that sheet of paper."

Kedar replied flatly then, "I've been grinding away at the pinnacle level for decades, but it is the extreme emotions I've experienced recently that had me reflect upon my life and the many problems I faced, before getting me to calmly study the very fabric of my Psi… I had indeed progressed, although it's hard to say if I'm really Perpetuator now."

Indeed, it would have been a blessing for the fleet commander to become a Perpetuator who stood at the pinnacle across the alliance. It should have been good news to be relayed to the entire Alliance—but somehow, Faya felt a chill into his heart.

If the price to ascend as a Perpetuator was to personally destroyed one's own homeworld and everything they valued, then there would not be many willing to do it, since people obtained strength with purpose. To destroy purpose and reason for strength instead would be the most laughable of folly.

Faya could scarcely imagine how much rage and hate was submerged beneath Kedar's calm tone and his eyes without fathomable emotions. What surge of emotion could have driven the fleet commander, who had focused in command for decades without really thinking about ascending, to break through that one barrier in weeks and find his own path?

Kedar himself did not know either.

***

At the fore of the bridge, the fleet commander turned again to gaze into space at the vague stars faraway. His tone may have been calm and rational, but it was also his limit—the Tanyan did not say much at all now, because he simply did not know when he would suddenly scream or wail from the pain, ejecting every bit of psionic power from his body and destroy everything around him.

Breaking through to Perpetuator? Perhaps. Kedar was vividly aware that his power had briefly risen only because of the reflection. The profound Psi that was cultivated by emotion has begun to exceed his grasp and reach a level he had never yearned for, and though he could certainly ascend when his power broke through the boundary, he could have also possibly turned into a frightening, aberrative Perpetuator-class psionic monster.

I have to go. I must at least be surrounded by Chaos spawns when I go amok.

That was what his rationale said—to pour the flames of rage upon the enemy was the best revenge, and the purpose of what little remained of his life.

Where? Who cares! I don't mind becoming a monster at all, as long as I kill the minions of Chaos!

It was the hateful roar of one who had nothing. He had lost every kin, friend, and even his homeworld—the Tanyan was now a displaced civilization, and while the others who lived in other parts of the Alliance could keep their starfaring civilization alive, the newborns would never know the beauty of their homeworld.

There was nothing save for hate and revenge. Kedar had no reason to fight the Chaos or to repress his rage. He was at a loss when he awoke with a start from his daily dreams, mocking himself for his own rationality.

He had nothing. Why hold back, pretend to be rational and even calm, issuing orders that made him sick to his stomach?

The emotions kept tearing at him in his mind, but Kedar stayed sensible. As he had put it himself, he was alright and could control emotions as a powerful psionic, even if it was only walking over thin ice… at least, he could keep together while still with the Blaze fleet.

As for the transfer to the Starsplitters… It would have been another matter.

"Hurry."

Staring at the faraway, murky stars while the Psi around him brimmed with crimson radiance, Kedar muttered in an unhinged fashion, "I can't wait."

***

At that very moment, a Psyweb that anyone below Endless Light-class could never see stirred in space. Then, with an indiscernible hum, four streaks of distinct radiances warped and spread throughout Stellaris.

Incandescent light swept through a million quadrants and a billion stars, searching and calling for existences that resonated with them, seeking their agents. Then, a blood-red light detached from the throbbing web, streaking away and arriving upon Kedar's mind without anyone noticing, whether it was the bridge crew or Faya who was right beside Kedar.

Only Kedar's body shook abruptly. He could feel his spirit heating up—a pure and peerlessly right emotion surged into the sea of his spirit, clearing up the old Tanyan's opaque mind that had been a convoluted mixture of hatred, rage, misery, and loss.

Many things suddenly streamed into Kedar's mind in that instant.

He would slay the Chaos spawns, and the more the better. To hell with fleet and duty—he could simply drive his Star Destroyer to the nearest Chaos lair and self-destruct, dying and ending everything in the war against all Chaos. He would spill his boundless hatred, his endless wrath and madness. Who cared if it was rational? There was no reason for him to be sensible, and he would thus become a powerful psionic monster, seeking Chaos for his slaughter.

The purest of hatred drew infinite dark thoughts. It was like a stone thrown beneath a mire with lurking vipers and insects swarming out in return—stunned, Kedar watched the dark, deplorable thoughts in his head, his appendages clenching while his feelers curled.

Likewise, many other thoughts crossed his mind too.

He would protect the other races and civilization, keeping them from repeating the ruin of his own home. He would lead his fleet in the resistance against the Chaos so that the number of tragic people like himself would not increase. His heart was filled with boundless courage, for it was indeed having nothing and having nothing to especially love that he now had everything.

Because he had nothing, he was fearless.

Then, Kedar remembered the oath he had sworn when he joined the Guard's fleet.

"We shall keep watch over all life and Order across the planets and be a shining star upon all civilization and races. We shall be the shield that resists the Chaos, the protectors who repel their invasion."

"We are the Guard's fleet. We shall clear Chaos and calamity until the end of life."

Two seemingly contradicting emotions originating from the same source clashed within Kedar's heart. Speechless, the venerable Tanyan raised his head, his feelers abruptly shaking while he broke into peaceful tears.

"Ah. So, I still hold such profound weakness in my heart."

He reflected silently. "So, I've never controlled myself, but have simply held myself back?"

If losing loved ones allowed hate to fester rampantly and involved others, even destroying himself…

It was truly grand cowardice and foolery.

If Chaos had thoughts and could speak, they would have been sneering at his dullness.

"I…"

In reality, the scarlet Psi that had been brimming around Kedar's promptly throbbed and diminished, as the Tanyan quietly said, "I was wrong."

Falling to hate neither defeated his foes nor destroyed the Chaos, but would have only sent him and the people around him into the abyss… He never needed hate, or to escape reality with vengeance to the point of self-ruin.

He had to instead keep his eyes fixed to his life which was bathed in blood and tragedy, to stand firm in the future where he had lost everything, and yet keep going forward.

He needed courage!

Having admitted his hatred, mistake, weakness, and descent unto a spiral of self-destruction, he would correct his mistake of aiming hatred towards the enemy, and keep that weakness on his wall as caution, and sweep the spiral into the garbage can.

Facing everything directly, his filthy self and the bleak reality, while confronting the future without fear—such was courage.

***

Psionic energy converged once again, and changed.

A brighter and more vivid scarlet power gently pushed away vice commander Faya, who was hurrying towards him when he sensed something amiss. It was a power different from Psi, a light that was no shadow but a seemingly tangible substance.

"Hate also begets courage, just like light towers and beacons that guide ships as they navigate." Kedar exhaled, radiances glinting in his compound eyes. "But one should not drown in hate, and mistake that light tower for a destination."

My fight… is not to exact revenge upon the Chaos. My fight is not that shallow.

I will advance in this world filled with Chaos, towards a future without any!

And in the instant when Kedar finally gained epiphany that courage and hate along with rage and madness contradicted, but was a single body of concepts, when his heart birthed genuine courage, the red light which poured into his mind's eye abruptly shone.

[Kedar Monan of the Stellar Guard Alliance. Your heart embodies great courage. You belong to the Ring of Courage]

[Gallantry bids you]

Mere courage would only have been granted acknowledgment by the Ring of Courage and a runic shadow. It was not enough to truly earn the manifested Ring of Courage.

To become a Ringbearer, one had to be an individual able to control hate, understand madness, manipulate rage, and understand courage—just like the rings of oath, holding it all in and restraining oneself against all such emotion.

The frame of a ring which was marked with a lightning bolt-shape rune appeared before Kedar's chest, hanging on one of his joints before solidifying rapidly.

Blood shade fire ignited, engulfing the entire body of the old Tanyan—shell cracks, joints, and body parts which had all lost luster and roundness from old age were burning within the fire, revitalized, and returned to a younger time!

In that moment, a nearly solid and thick presence spread instantly through out the entire Armageddon-class warship. Everything was aflame in the scarlet inferno, even reaching the entire Blaze fleet.

"Co—commander?"

Beside him, Faya, who was startled by the exceedingly profound presence, had fallen to the ground.

"You, you've broken through!" he cried in surprise. Faya did not ask a single question but was immeasurably firm in his tone when he saw Kedar's new youthful form, and sincerely cheered, "Wonderful!"

"Oooooh! Our captain has ascended?"

"Commander, to actually ascend without a word…"

"To think that he could rise from such a tremendous blow…"

"Commander, congratulations on your ascension to Perpetuator!"

The bridge was immediately filled with delighted cheers and praises, just as the communications channels were consecutively transmitting all manners of congratulations and blessings—even the newer crews of the fleet knew the significance of the tragedy that had befallen their commander, not to mention those who had served alongside Kedar for over ten years.

With such a blessing at present, they naturally did all they could to use that bliss to brush away the gloom.

"Alright, stop it."

Powerful spiritual presence instantly reverberated through everyone's mind as Kedar, who was quickly mastering his new powers, serenely looked up. He seemed to have things to say to the crew who had silently supported him and trusted his command, but he was stopped by an urgent message from headquarters.

"…Very good."

After reading it a few times, Kedar Monan, commander of Blaze strike team, turned towards Faya. "Change of course. We're turning and heading straight for the Dark Galaxy."

"Commander?" Blanking out for a moment, Faya soon realized what was happening.

"Could it be?!" he asked, his tone showing delight and a hint of trembling from exhilaration.

"It's true. The god of you Midgardians and our great mechanical leaders have joint forces to eradicate 90,000 planetary systems corrupted by Chaos. Their spawns are retreating from every end, and we don't need to guard the rear."

"The moment of retaliation has come." The cold and solemn mechanical voice once again spoke from the translating tool on his chest, combining with a spiritual presence that reached out to every crewmember's mind. "Command has given orders: all fleets not involved in SS-class missions or above shall cease all present operations and head for the front line."

"We are ending our purging tasks. It is time for the counterattack!"

There was silence, before a cheer that echoed across the fleet resounded.

Having heard that cheer that was of sincere hatred against Chaos and fearless courage, Kedar looked up at the stars that swirled as the warships turned. He sensed that the ship's warp engines and beacon were being adjusted under Faya's instructions and calibrations: the psionic core was charging and the vessel accelerating, and everything was in place.

It was time.

Hence, he spoke calmly, "Coordinates, the Eastern Quadrant: the first star base of the Tehran systems."

"All ships assume formation. Activate warp engines, establish link with Tehran anchor points. Operation codename: Retaliation."

"At my call…"

Kedar then paused, raising his appendage and touching his red ring before issuing the command.

"Warp!"