Chapter VIII

As the ship descended into Naboo's atmosphere, Corvinius held onto Caden's lifeless body, his thoughts consumed by the a myriad of thoughts. The chaos around him mirrored the turmoil within. The once serene and picturesque planet now witnessed the fiery descent of a Trade Federation Lucrehulk.

The Guardsman's heroics weighed heavily on Corvinius, prompting him to reflect on the ideals of the Guardsmen as a whole and the responsibility he bore as a Primarch. The ship rumbled as it endured the atmospheric entry, adding a sense of urgency to Corvinius's internal struggle. A struggle that reflected on how much he held out on believing that he was still a man. He was not a man anymore, not in the truest sense of it. He was in the body of a Primarch, he had the gifts and talents of one. Now he must assume such a role, and he would do so whether the road before him was paved with blood and destruction, or annihilation.

His mind echoed with the words he had spoken to Caden about Guardsmen, their bravery, and the honor he found in their sacrifices. Now, with Caden's life extinguished, Corvinius felt the weight of his own choices. The desire to become a true Primarch, to embody the qualities he admired in Guardsmen, in Sanguinius, burned within him. As if a dormant fire had been reignited.

As the ship hurtled towards the surface, Corvinius clenched his jaw, determination etched across his blood-streaked face. The remnants of the Black Rage still lingered, a reminder of the power and responsibility he wielded. The world outside the viewport became a blur of flames and swirling clouds, matching the tumult in Corvinius's wounded heart. He had assumed that humans from this universe wouldn't be as sacrificial or heroic than in Warhammer. That Caden wouldn't put himself between Sanguinius, and danger. His heart throbbed just the tiniest amount, enough to make it unbearable, even for him. Caden was the first person who believed in Corvinius, to place his life in the hands of a complete stranger.

The descent continued, the ship's systems straining against the forces of gravity. Corvinius, now standing amidst the chaos, held onto Caden's memory like a beacon. He vowed to honor the Guardsman's heroics by embracing his own destiny as a Primarch, realizing the potential he carried within. He would never again step away the duty afforded to him. He had to believe that he was in this universe for a reason, whether it was to burn the galaxy or rebuild it, it did not matter.

As the ground rapidly approached, Corvinius steeled himself for the impact. The ship crashed with a deafening roar, sending shockwaves through the surrounding area. The once-grand vessel now lay broken and battered, a monument to the tumultuous events that had unfolded. The vessel groaned and quaked as debris from it still fell from the skies. Yet admit the wreckage, Corvinius was crouched over unharmed and still moving. He stood to his full height once more, still holding onto Caden's lifeless body. Then with a quick glance to his surroundings, taking in the carnage he wrought. The up and becoming Primarch began to march himself out of the wreckage, paying no heed to any of the flames that threatened to consume him, even when they engulfed him.

Corvinius' armored boot heels stomped into the wreckage, his wings folded inwards and feeling no true pain from any of the fires. He some times would have to bash his way through the anything that impeded him. Yet he reached the outside all the same. As he walked out, Corvinius found himself gazing up at a new dawn shining down upon him. The beautiful and peaceful Nabooian landscape before him. With a slight look back, to take in the Lucrehulk that he brought down, he faced forward and allowed his wings to extend outwards.

As much as he wanted this to end, as much as he wanted the people of this world to know true peace, there was still one more Lucrehulk in orbit. Still one last thing to do....

'Let's hope...that Argall held the line.'

Corvinius thought, then with a single flap of his majestic wings, he took the air, ascending from the wreckage of the Lucrehulk and headed away and back to Theed.

{Argall Herec}

The Sergeant was amazed, Corvinius actually did it. He actually halted the Trade Federations' advance AND destroyed the control ship that was sending the battledroids. He and his men were outside of the palace, scavenging for weapons, surveying the dismantled and shut down battledroids that littered the halls, the outside streets, even all the way to the front gates of Theed. Never had he seen a miracle like this occur, not even the Jedi could do something like this.

He was aided by another Guard member to help him walk, while the test got what they could. He wanted to cheer, to celebrate prematurely. Yet, he knew that it wasn't over yet. There were two Lukcrehulks, and there was no telling how long they would have before the Trade Federation sends their next and possibly final wave of battledroids. Just as he was formulating a defense strategy, Herec heard the flutters of large beating wings. He gazed up and felt his eyes widened as Corvinius descended down from the skies like an angel.

The large armored male, like a guardian angel with how the sun kissed his skin. Every Nabooian Guard stopped what they were doing as they looked up him. As Corvinius' boot heels touched the ruined pavement, Herec took notice of the body that he was holding. Corvinius was holding the body of a young man, who couldn't have been older than twenty-five years old. He knew this man, he knew the man's mother and younger sister. He even knew the man's father, his commanding officer from when he was in the Judicial Forces.

Corvinius stepped forward, garnering everyone to almost collectively follow his movements. As he walked, his wings folded in behind his back, until eventually, he stopped before Herec. Herec gazed up at Corvinius, taking in the larger armored males calm and stoic gaze. His armor having scorch marks, scratches, yet nothing that pierced or dented it.

"How....how did you escape the Lucrehulk?"

Corvinius found himself asking, and found a slight wry smile appear on Corvinius' lips.

"I did not."

The man answered, causing Herec to stare at Corvinius with confusion and disbelief. He was going to deny the possibility that Corvinius had actually survived a falling from the sky in a Lucrehulk. What stopped him was remembering every impossible thing that the man has done up to this point. From single-handedly dismantling Trade Federation forces, to ensuring their survival up to this point.

Herec lowered his gaze to the lifeless body of Caden, his face softening when he stared at the man's body.

"He was a good kid.."

Herec commented, and found Corvinius responding to what he felt was empathy.

"He was a good man indeed..."

Before either of the two could speak more, a Nabooian Guard suddenly spoke.

"Sergeant!"

The Guard cried as he gazed up into the sky with his binocs. Herec looked over, narrowing his eyes at the man, thinking that the Trade Federation was on their way now.

"What is it? Has the Trade Federation begun sending their next batch of scrap metal?"

Herec asked, but found the Guard's response peculiar and shocking.

"No sir! T-they're....leaving!"

{One Day Later, Obi-Wan Kenobi}

Obi-Wan was...concerned. He along with his master, and Captain Panaka stood within the small viewpoint of Queen Amidalas' personal shuttle. Before they was Naboo, the place where they were to be heading in order for them to help her liberate her world. Yet instead or there being a fleet of Lucrehulks, there was nothing. No blockade, no ship of any kind, nothing. It was as if they disappeared without a trace.

"I have a bad feeling about this.."

Captain Panaka commented, voice Obi-Wan's concerns. When the Padawan glanced over to his master. Qui-Gon however looked thoughtful, observant. As if all of this was interesting for him, it seemed. Ever since they encountered that mass of muscle and armor of a machine or man, Obi-Wan's master had been more interested.

By the Force, Obi-Wan was felt dreadful thinking back on that...thing.

The Force never flowed through it like it should, yet he could sense that it was a LIVING being. Which still came back to the question of, WHAT IN THE BLAZES WAS IT? His master called it an anomaly, Obi-Wan called it a mistake. He doesn't want to be rude about it, but that was how he felt. The Force itself felt threatened by the mere prescene of this being. The very fabric of the Force warped and bent around this being as if he were an immovable object. One that the Jedi has never encountered in its history of existence. Oh yes, Obi-Wan did his research, and nothing in the history of the Jedi resembled or was described in the same way as this being. So either this being was artificially created, or this anomaly came to be without the Jedi even sensing it.

"Bring us down, but slowly.. just in case this is a trap."

Panaka ordered the pilot and co-pilot. Obi-Wan watched as the pilots brought the shuttle in orbit of Naboo. Then watched as the ship entered the planet's atmosphere. As it did, Obi-Wan's eyes widened. He he even heard Qui-Gon's breath hitched. There was a crashed Lukcrehulk on the countryside of Naboo headed to Theed. As if something had either brought it down or made the ship crash into Naboo.

"What the hell..."

Panaka commented, his mouth agape. As the shuttle drew near to Theed, a trail of Trade Federation hovertanks, speeders, and even battledroids littered the fields outside of Theed. Each looking as if they had either been ripped apart, or cut open. Until eventually they reached the city itself, finding that quite a few of the buildings were devastated. Hundreds, maybe several thousand battledroids littered the streets. Amongst them, thankfully enough, were Nabooians cleaning up the streets. A collective sigh of relief escaped everyone within the cockpit. They had assumed the worse, and the worse hadn't come to be.

'Whatever this thing is...I feel like when the others arrive...Mace Windu is going to go pale faced.'

Obi-Wan thought, with a slight smirk coming over his face.

{Padme Amidala}

The Queen of Naboo felt as the ship was descending and slowing down. She had thought that there would be at least some rumblings or explosions going off. Yet, nothing came to be. She was dressed in more comfortable and practical clothes in case they got into a firefight after landing. She stood by the landing ramp, waiting for it to open, but once it did, she found herself in the royal hanger bay. Confusion marrowed her expression, for the plan was to head for the forests and plea for the Gungans aid.

"Issa hava baaaad feeling bout dis." Jar Jar commented as he stood behind her, while her guards stepped off the ship and began investigating the hanger bay. Once they found no battledroids, she stepped off, while quickly being followed by her personal Handmaiden and friend, Naberrie. The two continued to walk, looking at everything. The Nabooian starfighters were still intact and looking as new as when she had them bought. Everything looked fine, yet why is it was it easy for them to land back in Theed?

"Your majesty."

Came the voice of Captain Panaka. Padme turned and found Panaka, and Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi stepping off the landing ramp of her shuttle.

"Naboo is safe, Theed is secured."

Padmes' brows furrowed, causing Qui-Gon to speak before she could voice her building questions.

"There was no Trade Federation blockade, in fact, one of their Lukcrehulks was crashed onto the surface."

Qui-Gon stated, causing Padme's eyes to widen with disbelief, she didn't know what to say. Either this was a ridiculous stupendous joke or a miracle. Naboo had already been liberated? By who? How?

"Captain!"

Came another voice across the hanger, everyone turned to see a middle aged man wearing the royal Nabooian Guard uniform. Though it was tattered, dirty, and torn. Panaka stepped forward, addressing the man.

"Sergeant Herec, what the hell happened here?"

Panaka questioned, being the voice and asking the question that was on everyone's minds. Sergeant Herec gave Panaka a slight smile before responding to his Captain.

"We won, sir."

{Moments Later, Qui-Gon}

As the seasoned Jedi Master walked through the streets of Theed with the retinue of Queen Amidala, his Padawan, and hopefully his next Padawan, Anakin Skywalker. He observed the aftermath of what must have been a chaotic battle. Citizens and Nabooian Guards alike were moving about, helping in removing the Trade Federation battledroids. There were blaster marks on every building surrounding the palace. Despite this destruction, Qui-Gon saw that the Nabooians were talking amongst each other, speaking off a winged man. One that he knew fairly well.

"Mr. Qui-Gon, what happened here?"

The young Anakin asked, looking around in wonder.

"A battle, Anakin."

Qui-Gon replied cooly, then glanced at Queen Amidala. She looked horrified at everything, the destruction, the wounded, even some of the dead. He felt sympathy for her, for no one should know the horrors of war. Least of all, a peaceful planet. Before anyone could move any further, the groan of metal being moved made the retinue turn their gazes at a disabled hovertank. They watched it move a bit, then be subsequently lifted into the air. Everyone's eyes widened, gazing up at this event. For a moment, Qui-Gon thought that the Force was being used, but he sensed no such thing.

That was when he saw the reason why this hovertank was moving. It was that armored warrior, the anomaly. This time however, he had no helmet. This time, Qui-Gon could see that he was a man...a very big and very strong man. The event made everyone in the retinue gasp or stare in utter disbelief. Anakin was the only to speak in the silence however.

"That's so wizard!"

Anakin exclaimed, he was the only one who found delight at seeing a man do this. With a grunt, the man pulled the hovertank apart, making as if he were snapping a stick. Dropping the pieces down, he looked to several Nabooian Guards and began relaying orders to them.

Before anyone realized it, Queen Amidala was already halfway over to him. Captain Panaka was too late to stop his Queen as he tried to call out to her, but his voice fell on deaf ears.

Qui-Gon however was quicker, moving over to get an idea as to who this man was and what his motives were.

The man turned, just as Queen Amidala reached him. She cleared her throat and spoke in a commanding tone.

"I am Queen Padme Amidala, Queen of Naboo."

Queen Amidala addressed.

"On behalf of the people of Naboo...thank you for-"

"You do not speak for the people."

The man suddenly said and interrupted, throwing Queen Amidala off.

"I-"

"You are elected as Queen, to guide the government not its people. I did this for them, not for beauracrats too afraid to face danger. Now, if you will excuse me, I have little time for little rulers."

The man turned and began dragging the two pieces of the hovertank behind him. Leaving a bewildered and frowning Queen Amidala. Qui-Gon didn't know if he should feel threatened by that or feel some form of entertainment. Though he did find it upsetting that he still didn't know the man's name.

"Who is he?"

Queen Amidala thought allowed, and found the bandaged Sergeant Herec answering as the rest of the retinue joined her.

"That was Corvinius, the Angel of Naboo."