The Seer’s Goodwill

If it had not been for the Trove Cogitator’s constant psychic warnings about the off-the-charts psychic strength of the Aeldari before him, Hill would have blown his head apart with his boltgun.

After all, this was far too bizarre. The two sides were still at war, and Hill had just severed the head of an Aeldari Aspect Warrior with his electromagnetic longsword.

The blood on the blade had not even finished dripping when an Aeldari arrived to negotiate. It sounded more like some sort of Aeldari scheme.

Were they pretending to surrender? Or trying to stall for time through negotiations? Both were possible.

The Aeldari often did things humans found incomprehensible. Their strange logic and ways of thinking were difficult for humanity to understand. They often took preemptive action because of certain prophecies, strangling crises in the cradle.

"Aeldari, do you think we would believe your clumsy lies?"

"I am a son of Guilliman. Reason and calm are my instincts. Do not think you can play your damned prophecies before me."

A cold electronic voice came through the helmet’s vox-grille. The sensors mounted on the Space Marine transmitted the scene before him back to the rear forward base.

After being processed by the Cogitator, the scenes here became a new projection before Lox.

He folded his arms and considered how much of it was true.

"This Aeldari seems different from those who call themselves the Aeldari of the Alaitoc Craftworld. There are extremely subtle differences in their intricate patterns."

Lox knew that the Aeldari possessed an immensely ancient and complex culture. Every rune and marking on them carried its own meaning, though most humans had no interest in such things.

"Let him continue," Lox commanded remotely.

"Have the anti-psyker squad ready. Let our Untouchables deal with him."

"I mean no harm. Otherwise, I would not have come alone." Uslan planted his staff in the ground, then hung the blue Aeldari helmet he held in his left hand upon it.

He slowly walked in one direction—the very place where the anti-psyker squad was stationed. Ten Untouchables lay in ambush behind cover. They felt waves of oppression as their soulless field seemed to be under pressure.

Uslan walked toward humanity’s ultimate weapon against Psykers. As he drew closer to the Untouchables, a trace of pain flickered across the handsome face of the Aeldari seer.

Yet he retained his elegance and composure. Beneath the soulless field that would have caused an ordinary Psyker to die instantly, he spoke to Commander Hill.

"I believe this is enough to demonstrate my sincerity. I come with goodwill, and I hope to receive your goodwill in return. If possible, I would like to meet you, ruler of humanity."

As he said this, his gaze was actually fixed upon the camera on Hill’s armor. He was speaking to Lox.

"I never thought there would be someone so forthright among the Aeldari. I had thought your entire race consisted of riddlers who liked to beat around the bush."

The sincerity Uslan displayed moved Lox. After hesitating for several seconds, he spoke into the communicator.

"Bring him over, Hill. Have the anti-psyker squad accompany him. I want to have a proper talk with this Aeldari."

Hill wanted to dissuade him, but upon further thought, he suppressed the urge.

He knew Lox’s personality. Although Lox usually listened to sound advice, once he had made up his mind, he would not change it.

He gestured for the Aeldari seer to follow him, while having the Untouchables from the anti-psyker squad remain at his side.

Under the dual protection of the Ultramarines guard and the anti-psyker squad, Uslan successfully entered Lox’s forward base on Pandora.

"This will be a great meeting. You do not yet understand its significance, but if you live long enough, you will understand that this is a momentous event for our universe."

Uslan’s cryptic words left Hill somewhat confused. It seemed that even this seemingly more normal Aeldari enjoyed spouting mysterious riddles.

Lox was seated in his place, having waited for quite some time.

The Aeldari seer possessed an exceptionally handsome face. Among all the people Lox had seen, only Guilliman and Lion, those two creations of the Emperor, could surpass him.

The Primarchs carried an indescribable divinity about them. That was Lox’s assessment after observing them.

A faint smile rested on Uslan’s face, though he remained solemn. His features, so similar to those of a human, naturally inspired goodwill.

Barabas Dantioch emerged from the darkness. The C’tan phase sword in his hand, gleaming with an eerie green light, held Uslan’s attention for two extra seconds.

"Illic Nightspear said he suffered badly at the hands of a human warrior wielding a C’tan phase sword."

"So you have already dealt with those Necrons, honored human," the Aeldari said.

"You are unlike the other Aeldari. You seem willing to make contact with us."

Uslan smiled somewhat shyly and shrugged. "Yes, that is a trait of our race. When our creators fashioned us, they added such things to us. Of course, I am different from them. I hold no prejudice against any race."

"The reason I wished to meet you is to settle the conflict between our two races. There have indeed been some unpleasant incidents before, but those are unimportant. What matters is what comes next."

Uslan’s words made Lox raise a brow. These self-proclaimed noble Aeldari were actually willing to lower their heads first. That was not something he had expected.

"I admire your courage. Under the protection of ten Untouchables, can you still use your psychic power?"

At Lox’s question, Uslan snapped his fingers. Before everyone’s eyes, he shaped a verdant laurel crown with psychic power, then sent it floating before Lox.

"The Crown of Isha, a crown bestowed by the goddess of life in our Aeldari mythology. I made an imitation of it. I hope you like it."

Lox fell silent for a second, then had the Untouchables withdraw.

He realized that the other party’s psychic power was already strong enough to break through the suppression of the soulless field. There was no point in keeping the Untouchables here.

It would be better for both sides to be more open and natural, and lay everything out plainly.

Lox did not like riddlers.

Uslan nodded, pleased by the progress of the meeting.

"I propose a ceasefire. You may take the Blackstone on Pandora. Those things are no longer of use to us. Giving them to you to resist the threat of the Warp would be good as well."

"Chaos is the common enemy of all life in the material universe. Humanity and the Aeldari should not be hostile toward one another."

Lox grew increasingly curious about Uslan. This Aeldari, who did not like speaking in riddles, was offering Blackstone with both hands and clearly showing an intent to cooperate. It was simply too rare.

"How much do you know about Blackstone? Is it not a creation of the Necrons?"

Trazyn had taught Lox about the uses of Blackstone when they had first met. Lox retained a deep impression of that unusual collector among the Necrons.

"Necrons? No, no. Blackstone does not belong to those Necrontyr. They are not qualified to make the arrogant claim that they created Blackstone."

As though he had heard a joke, Uslan wore a somewhat exaggerated smile. The Aeldari’s emotions were always violently volatile, causing them to appear highly unstable.

"The origins of Blackstone are extremely complicated. It would be difficult for me to lay it all out clearly in simple words within a short time."

Before Uslan could finish his explanation, Lox interrupted him.

"Then keep it brief."

The Aeldari was somewhat embarrassed, but he continued from where he had left off.

"Blackstone was not created by the Necrons. One theory holds that its creator was an entity from ancient times known as a C’tan."

"That history is exceedingly ancient—so ancient that even we Aeldari can no longer fully record what precisely happened in that era. Yet I have still found a few traces."

Uslan seemed to show off his learning before continuing. "The C’tan Mag’ladroth, also known as the Void Dragon, was the master of the material realm, the embodiment of all technology and machinery. Legend says it created Blackstone."

"C’tan?"

This was not the first time Lox had heard the name. He had first learned it from the Necron overlord Trazyn, though Trazyn had been vague about it, seemingly unwilling to mention it too much.

"Go on. How much do you Aeldari know about the C’tan?"