Chapter III

'Is that a passive Psyker ability I just used, or did my body just make me give a Captain America speech?'

Corvinius thought in wonder as the Nabooian guards, or rather, the Guardsmen, ran off to do what he had ordered them to do. They were emboldened, his words causing them to follow him even if it meant death. Then again, he was in the body of the Primarch that inspired more than a thousand men and women to wait for death to come to them.

Little to say, Corvinius knew that they were outnumbered. He didn't have to worry too much about his survival. He was a Primarch, a demigod, he would survive. Yet, in order for his survival to mean something, the men who were following under him must live. Even if only a few of them would remain by the end of this. It was a fact, a fact that the man did not entirely like. It was like being reminded that with all this strength, all this power, he was still human enough to fail.

"Excuse me?"

A male voice called, causing Corvinius to turn his attention to a single Guardsman standing before him. He looked young, possibly in his early twenties. He had hazel irises, black hair, and olive white brown skin. Pursing his lips, he straightened himself and began to speak again.

"Thank you, sir. For getting my little sister and my mother out of the city."

Corvinius slowly nodded his head, understanding that the young man before him was the elder brother of Vivian.

"No thanks is needed, Guardsman. My duty is to safeguard the innocent, those who are unable to fight for themselves."

"Regardless, you didn't have to. You could have used everyone else as shields. So thanks for being a better man than most others in the galaxy."

A slight smile appeared on Corvinius' face before kneeling down to at least be a bit above eye level with the young man before him.

"What is your name, Guardsman."

"Caden, sir."

"Caden, I am no sir. For I have no armies to command, no people to call my own."

"Well, in my honest opinion, you have my vote of confidence. We all thought that you were gonna kill us. Some of us, even though that you were some kind of angel of death. Honestly? You're more of an angel than alot of men that I know."

Those words were quite touching, coming from a mortal man to a demigod. Then again, Corvinius didn't see himself as Sanguinius, he didn't see himself as a demigod.

"I am gladdened that you think that of me. I am no angel, I am simply a man."

"Respectfully, Corvinius, but that's a load of shit."

If Corvinius was a normal man, that would have made him chuckle. Instead, he gave Caden an amused smile before rising back to his full height. Adjusting his spear, Corvinius looked down a street, then back to Caden.

"Run along Guardsman, I will continue to search alone."

Corvinius ordered, then watched Caden salute and rush off with his blaster at the ready. The man watched the Guardsman run off, then put his helmet back on. A hiss of air pressurizing sounded off, allowing Corvinius to be encased with his armor fully once again. Turning in one direction, he rushed off, and began patrolling the streets. He was very certain that he couldn't possibly enter a house or building. Not only were the doors too small, the height of the ceilings would be even smaller. So for now, he would act as a lookout and wait for the next wave of droids. It was all that he could do, while there was time to evacuate and prepare.

{Qui-Gon Jinn}

The Jedi Master was... disconcerted. Confused and bewildered could be added to how he felt as well. He and his Padawan had just met a VERY tall man, at least he was assuming that was a man underneath that armor. Though, that wasn't what concerned him. It was what he felt in the Force.

'Nothing... I felt nothing. As if the Force itself denounces his existence!'

Qui-Gon thought as he escorted the Queen of Naboo and her entourage along with his Padawan, Obi-Wan. Never in his life had he felt something so strange, so vexing, so otherworldly. It was like the Force was metaphorically telling him to end that man. As if he were being ordered to end him, though for what reason he could not say. It was like to the Force, that man was an anomaly. An very real, very living, and very lethal anomaly. He and Obi-Wan may have arrived late, but he could tell from what little damage that appeared on the man's armor gave him the impression that he took out all those battledroids. Qui-Gon was certain that he and Obi-Wan wouldn't have been able to take on those droids alone. It was impossible, even though he was a Jedi Master, he was getting old. Old and slow. There was simply no way that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan could do that against impossible odds.

Yet that thing, that anomaly, that man, did it. He faced those impossible odds and wiped out all of those droids. Something told Qui-Gon that this would not be the last time that he would see the anomaly. A part of him was curious, the other was filled with dread. Considering, the Force itself reacts so vividly and anxiously. As if his mere existence spites it.

Right as they bound a corner, Qui-Gon was prepared to ignite his lightsaber. They were making their way to the hanger bay. In order for Naboo to get assistance, Queen Amidala had to get off the planet. He was expecting at least a single squad of battledroids, except there was none there. The royal starship sat with its main ramp open. Nabooian pilots were beginning to file in, along with most of Queen Amidala's entourage. Except one man remained, wanting to act as a middle man between Naboo, the Queen, and the Trade Federation.

Right as Qui-Gon was about to step aboard the starship, a thought occurred. What if the armored anomaly was not here when they returned? What if they would be gone? He didn't even get their name!

'Damn it all...'

Qui-Gon thought and mentally sighed. He watched as the ramp closed and sent a glance to his Padawan. The look on Obi-Wan's face matched how he felt. They had both just witnessed something that has never been seen before. A literal anomaly in the Force, not a hole, not a void, an anomaly. The Force doesn't flow through it, it appeared to just move around them as if they were a wall and the Force was the wind. There was no way to explain this, for the Jedi had never encountered anything like this before.

'At least I have something that will most definitely bring a priceless face on Windu.'

Qui-Gon thought with a hint of amusement, and notice Obi-Wan look at him with a look of half amusement and half disapproval. Though both of them knew that one thing was for certain, they had quite the story to tell to the Jedi Council.

{Corvinius}

The armored man stood in the midst of a courtyard, his visor. Locked onto the fleet in orbit, the enemy who are most definitely mustering another wave to the city. So far, things appeared to be going well, he had seen several of the Guardsmen, even Caden, escorting people to the exits. Though a singular thought kept repeating itself at the back of his head. One that gnawed at him more so than on how he was going to defend this city.

'How the hell do I fly!?'

He thought with both annoyance and wonder. Glancing back, he noticed that his wings were still flexing from time to time. As if they were unused muscles that needed stretch from time to time. Granted, he tried to fly during his bout with the first wave of droids. Yet no matter how many times he tried, flapping his wings doesn't allow him to fly. It was as if it would be a miracle for him to fly. That was when a light bulb when off in his mind.

'A miracle...'

He thought with wonder and curiousity. At no point did he try to consciously try to call forth any Psyker abilities. Then again, he didn't know how to. Of course, he experienced one of the prerogative abilities that Sanguinius was most known for. Yet other than that, he didn't know what else to do. So with a resolute breath leaving him, he decided to try. Knowing full well that if he could genuinely fly, it would grant him a massive advantage.

'If flapping my wings don't work, then let's see if Psyker powers does the trick.'

Corvinius thought, then closed his eyes, trying to sense or even think of his Psyker powers to work. He was in the body of a Primarch, a Primarch with Psyker abilities. There was no doubt that he must supremely more powerful than ninety-nine percent of this entire galaxy.

That was when he felt, a pull, a push, the small signs of mental muscle needing to be stretched out like a muscle. He focused, trying to will it to work, to command it to his will. He could almost see it, his body in a third person perspective, his wings raising upwards like that of an avian creature about to take its first flight. For a moment, he worried about what was going to happen if he was wrong. For a moment, he felt a slight tinge of anxiety. For a moment, he felt more man than demigod. Then he immediately opened his eyes, and put the man part of him to the side.

'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.'

Corvinius thought with finality, then crouched downwards. He balled his fist up, feeling as the gravity of this planet tried to hold him down. Then, with a grunt, he jumped. His boot heels left the pavement as ground beneath him quaked and bent from the force of his jump. Corvinius flapped his wings, this time, it helped, this time, he finally understood. Sanguinius didn't fly because his wings gave him flight, his Psyker abilities allowed him flight. His wings were what stirred his large body around.

Despite the revelation of knowledge, a beaming smile came over his face, the helmet shielding his facial features. But it was evident by how he twirled around as he soared upwards. Corvinius was excited, he felt adrenaline rushing through his veins once again. He was flying, he was actually flying like a graceful avian. As he soared higher, out of the corner of his visor, he could make out a starship, leaving the palace. It wasn't that big, but the design pulled Corvinius back to reality. The Queen was escaping into orbit. Now, a mental timer had been set. Corvinius was aware that he may have days, or maybe a little over a week before they would return. When they did, he may be rewarded, though one thing was for sure, he couldn't hide. He was aware of his immense strength and capabilities. The problem was that he was one Primarch with no armies, no resources, no followers, and could still be killed. Despite majority of the beings in this universe being unable to kill him the conventional way, he couldn't be careless. That would only be his downfall, just as it was for the Jedi and many others.

That of course spurred up the question once again, what was Corvinius going to do once he left this planet? He wasn't exactly going to work with the Jedi and Republic. After all, they were the primary reason why the good guys lost. The Republic for being corrupt, and the Jedi for being arrogant and ignorant fools. The Sith were no different, except he knew that they couldn't be trusted regardless if they spoke the truth or even had good intentions. The Dark Side corrupts and tempts all who use it, or at least that was what he heard and remembered. So there was only one option and it was one that would prove the most difficult but also the most rewarding.

'The Imperium of Man wasn't good, nor was it government that would have lasted if it continued down its path in the long run. Just slowly dying and raging against the dark until its last breath.'

He thought, whilst banking down to get a bird's eye view of the city below him.

'It's better to make an Imperium, though I'll have to figure out if I should keep aliens out of it. Thoughts for later, for now, let's make sure that there's a city still standing at the end of this.'

After closing his thoughts, Corvinius brought his head up, gazing up at what would be coming next. His visor locked onto several shapes coming down from orbit. Some of which had elongated red eyes, letting the man know what was coming. The next wave of droids were coming, and he was going to get all the experience that he wanted in learning aerial combat. Tightening his hold on his spear, Corvinius flew straight towards the formation of Trade Federation ships coming down to the planet. A few smaller shapes headed his way on an intercept course.

Immediately, he banked left to avoid a volley of ruby red bolts coming at him. Then he held his spear forward, and watched as the attacks banked around him to avoid being hit. All but one were lucky. His spear cut right through the metallic beast as if it were nothing. There was no resistance felt from the spear. Corvinius watched as what could only be described as a Droid starfighter fall to the ground below, having been cut into two pieces by him. Turning with the aid of his wings, Corvinius watched as the group of droids came back around to continue their attack.

'Maybe it's time to try out the sword.'

He thought with curiosity and excitement. With his free hand, Corvinius drew the sword. Then, with a mental command, it spurred to life with fire coating the blade. He rushed forward, his wings acting as his steering wheel as he spun around to avoid being shot. Then brought his sword down onto one of the droids. The blade cut through it as if it were a hot knife and the Droid were butter. His blade cut right into the Droid starfighter's cranium, exposing the wires inside and immediately burning through its circuitry. Not long after, it seemed to just power off and dived downwards to its doom.

Before he could bring his attention back on the droids he felt something impact his back. His wings felt warm, as if someone had just hit him with over a dozen hot towels. Corvinius was pushed forward, followed by an explosion right behind him. He had just been hit, and from the shrapnel that fell along with him since he had just lost his balance? It was a missile. One of the droids actually shot him with a missile. Not only was he still alive, he felt a little upset. It wasn't because they actually hit him, it was because after he had looked at his own wings, there was a large scorch mark on them.

"You dirtied my wings... you soulless bastards."

Corvinius uttered with a cold menacing tone, then caught himself and flapped his wings. He was focused now, what excitement he had had been thrown out the window. It was not personal, but now they had made it so. Corvinius adores his wings, looking so majestic, so wondrous. Now they looked as if someone were trying to paint them black with charcoal.

Raising his sword, Corvinius cleaved right through another Droid. Then while cocking back his other arm, he heaved forward and hurled his spear at another Droid starfighter headed his way. The spear cut right through the Droid, and fell off headed down to the ground below. Corvinius glanced behind him and saw another missile headed towards him. He turned quickly, then grabbed a hold of the missile and threw it back to the unsuspecting Droid that shot it at him in the first place. Without missing a beat, he dived down, headed for the large "H" shaped like transports headed for the city. He knew that the men on the ground were outnumbered, that didn't mean that he couldn't by them time. Coming down like a comet Corvinius raised his sword, then stabbed it right into the nearest transport. His landing bent the metal that that he was standing on. His sword still burning and metal the metal around it. Twisting it, he began to run and pull his sword through the transport. With a quick turn, Corvinius headed straight for one of the two wings, keeping the transport from falling downwards.

After reaching the wings, Corvinius pulled his sword upwards in a rising uppercut, then brought it back down again sideways. The blade sliced right through and clipped one of the wings of the transport. He quickly did the same to another one of the wings, of the ship, then felt gravity begin to pull the vessel down as he jumped upwards, beginning to fly and watch the ship crash into the grasslands outside of the city.

'I'm adapting pretty quickly, another muscle memory thing?'

Corvinius thought, then glanced to his right to see that there were seven more transports besides the one that he just downed. As well as a handful of starfighters flying around. He tightened his grip upon his sword, his stance and mind focused. At first, he elated at what all that he could do. At first, he felt that being in Sanguinius body wasn't so bad. Now he felt that he had to remind himself of something. An important fact that he must never forget. He was not Sanguinius, he was not a son of the God Emperor. He was Corvinius and until this changed, he was a man. A man with a terrifying sword, physique, armor, and spear.

"Well then, come meet my steel!"

Corvinius shouted, then drove himself forward with his sword raised. The battle of Naboo continued, with him at the forefront of it. He knew that he could have tried to go with the Jedi and the Queen, but he didn't. He knew that he could impact the story or change the outcome of many things just by leaving this planet. Yet, he didn't leave. He stayed, not simply because he chooses to, but because he felt that he must. Whilst his mind remains in control, his body felt that he couldn't leave. Ever fiber of his being felt that leaving would go against everything that it stood for. Abandoning these people when they needed a leader, when they needed a sword, when they needed a shield. It just wasn't right.

Corvinius was no hero, he was no Jedi, he was no Sith. That said, he was what the people will require him to be. And that was more than a match than the greatest of armies or the most fearsome of foes. What the people of Naboo needed was not more Jedi. It needed a man, and Corvinius would be that for them. Not because he believed that he could be that, but because it was right.