Battle Brief [Backpost]

Posted on Thu Aug 27th, 2026 @ 10:35am by Lieutenant Rune Thul & Lieutenant Akaar Zuul & Ramielos Volsunga
Edited on on Thu Aug 27th, 2026 @ 2:02pm

1,770 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Shoreleave [3-4]
Location: Volsunga's Quarters
Timeline: MD10

Super overdue, and hopefully interesting was the meeting Lieutenant Rune Thul had scheduled alongside Lieutenant Akaar Zuul to see Volsunga. They had discussed the Battle-Brother and speculated about much but were interrupted by their own duties to do anything about it.

Rune hit the chime. “Greetings Battle-Brother Volsunga, it is Lieutenant Rune Thul and,” Akaar spoke up.

“Lieutenant Akaar Zuul, we’d like to discuss many things with you?” Akaar’s tone was a little excited.

Volsunga was meditating when the chime rang and the voices came through. He stood himself up. "Enter." He said simply. As the two men entered the smaller-than expected space Volsunga wasn't quite sure what was appropriate. He knew they were the security and tactical chiefs, and one was a psyker.

"What is it you want to discuss?" He asked them. There wasn't much to the room, only the bed, a workbench (with his repaired bolter rifle on it, the size of either of their torsos), a table and a single chair, all of which were designed and reinforced for his much larger frame. Candles and handmade purity seals were the only decoration beyond a window looking out over delta dock, and there was a faint smell of incense.

“That is a pleasant aroma,” Rune commented before he took a breath in. “Calming.”

“It is,” Akaar took a deep breath in. “How has your meditations been since you received quarters?” The two had to let their heads fall back to make eye contact.

"Meditations are the same everywhere." Volsunga told the pair. "We are trained to calm and refresh ourselves in monasteries or battle trenches." He said it like it was obvious to him.

Akaar frowned. "I wish we had your training," the purple skinned Violanari male spoke wistfully.

"Oh please, Akaar, training can only take you so far for experience will fill in the rest as it tests you." Rune gestured at his friend, his expression plain. "That is unless you can live someone else's memories. I heard the crew of Voyager encountered a species that could transplant memories quite effectively."

"I highly doubt Starfleet would go down that path, Rune." Akaar gestured back and shrugged. The two put their hands by their sides as they turned to Volsunga.

Rune waited a moment before he spoke. "Do you have trainers in the field or are you taught at an education institution these techniques Battle-Brother?"

"Some techniques are taught by chaplains or chapter librarians. Others are taught to us by the hypnomat. It's a machine that puts knowledge in our minds without having to learn it." Volsunga explained.

He sighed, "that is overly helpful, to say the least. Is it effective for learning actions? Sure knowledge of how to do something and actually performing that something are quite different states." Rune had no judgement, only simple curiosity as to what it was like in Ramielos' universe.

"It is effective, yes. The mind knows as well from hypnomat learning as experience." Volsunga said.

"I suppose your people give up their knowledge if found useful to this hypnomat?" Akaar offered, he put his left arm under his chest over his midriff, his right hand came to hold his right cheek in thought as he listened.

Rune jumped in a moment later. "Or do those people retain their knowledge once it has been given to the hypnomat?" He added, it was better to voice the other question than leave it implied, "is it copied or extracted is a simpler question?"

"I do not know, we're not trained in its function, it is a tool used to instruct us." Volsunga admitted gruffly.

It was a long shot, Rune mused and waved a hand. "Moving on, your weapon, have you always had that design and size? Or have there been many from your research and development people... Well they could be inventors, engineers, scientists if you do not know of the term research and development?"

Akaar grinned, he'd been hoping to discuss the strange weapon. Maybe they could adapt their weapons systems to some degree to harness Ramielos' weapon's power. He was prepared however to get the refusal response which is okay, even if they could go and or send the man back, Akaar had a feeling that the Battle-Brother wouldn't betray his people.

"The Adeptus Mechanicus, the Tech-Priests of Mars are responsible for our technology. This is a standard issue mark II Cawl-pattern bolt rifle. It has been standard issue for the entirety of my service. The mark Vb Godwyn-pattern bolter was the previous standard." Volsunga explained, knowing the distinctions were probably lost on them.

"Has it ever failed you back in your universe?" Akaar inquired carefully.

"It is not enough to kill every enemy I have encountered. But it is reliable." Volsunga said.

"What enemies do you have?" Rune asked but added. "Could you describe them to us?"

"The Imperium's enemies are beyond count. The Aeldari Craftworlds. Once-supreme, treacherous, arrogant humanoids, whose self-satisfaction and pursuit of pleasure almost destroyed the galaxy when it birthed a new Chaos god. The Necron Dynasties, ancient undying machines who think of nothing but reclaiming the empire they lost millions of years ago. The Ork warbands, fungal proto-humanoids beyond count, they are impossibly stupid and live only to fight, but the gestalt psychic strength of their stupidity means their technology works because they believe it should. The Drukhari slavers, cruel cousins of the Aeldari who split away to pursue torment, suffering and domination as forms of art. The T'au Empire, a deceitful race of xenos who conquer other xenos with lies of alliance and under the banner of a so-called 'greater good'. The Tyranid swarm, an endless extragalactic hive-fleet that can assume countless war-capable forms to overwhelm worlds and convert them into food. Most damned among them, the traitor forces of Chaos. More beyond count too, but they are most consequential." Volsunga told them.

Akaar blinked a few times. "I didn't think pleasure could lead to a chaos god's birth, as in it had been born or almost born?" He sounded confused as he posed the question.

"It happened millennia before my birth, but the librarians teach that the birth of Slaanesh tore a wound in the galaxy itself, a region we call the eye of terror, a warp storm thousands of lightyears in diameter. I do not expect that your universe works the same way." Volsunga said.

Rune found himself pondering on those enemies and it seems the Imperium is completely surrounded. "If we ever are able to get you back, I hope we can try and would it be possible for us to see what assistance we can provide you with. What and how, will have to be discussed with the Captain but there might be something we can give or maybe some new tactics," he said as he placed his hands behind his back.

Both men suddenly recalled the stupid Ork warbands and their stupidity is so powerful it makes their technology work. "An Idiocracy that works, how strange." Rune added a moment later.

"And psychically, that's the odd part," Akaar commented.

"We may appear like the T'au Empire but we are actually working towards the greater good for all our members, for peace and prosperity, its the other powers that fail to see that," Rune commented as a follow-up.

"So the T'au Ethereals say." Volsunga added.

"I think there was some swarm that long ago fought the Klingon Empire, the Hur'q, I believe." Akaar recalled from history class. "I don't think the Klingons fully wiped them out though, or at least that is what the impression I got." He didn't go on.

"There does seem to be some similarities, however small they are." Rune said, "and the Q could be the ones who take the universe at their pleasure and are godlike."

Akaar sighed. "Let's hope one doesn't come now," he did shift to an pondering expression. "Speaking of them, wouldn't they be interested in the anomaly as it links to other universes?"

"They probably know but because we are here, they are leaving it's management to us?" Rune offered with a shrug. He turned back to Volsunga for his response to anything they have said.

"Will that be all?" Volsunga asked, having nothing further to add to their discussion.

"Apologies, is there anything that you or your technology may need in the long term that your Imperium provides that we should look into?" Rune asked, "or is there anything that you want us to look into that you think we can make?"

Akaar frowned, "the Imperium didn't use addiction or some form of forced needs on you to prevent you from betraying them?" He asked as he hoped to better explain Rune's question.

"No. We are self-sufficient. The tools I have been provided suit my needs. We serve because we are loyal. Betrayers face the Emperor's justice." Volsunga told them.

"Has the Captain, or Executive Officer, discussed with you your future with us until we can get you back home? Have they addressed what you would like to do while you wait for a possible return?" Rune asked, though he kind of already knew the most likely contribution Volsunga would be making.

"We have only discussed the tactical analyses I have been providing of past and recent conflicts. They have inferred that there may be further duties in time." Volsunga said.

"Are there any interests you have that your duties to the Imperium kept you from exploring that you could here?" Akaar added with a smile.

"No." Volsunga responded simply and honestly. Battle was life, such as it was.

"Perhaps you could assist me and the Tactical department with battle drills and various counterattack strategies against both the station and the Excalibur," Rune said with a smile.

"The Commander can probably do anything better we could do," Akaar said with annoyance.

"Maybe," Rune said to his friend with a nod but turned back to Volsunga, "would you be willing to improve our weaponry with your knowledge, even the slightest could mean an advantage over our foes?"

"I can help with strategy, but I'm not an artificer. I know how to use weapons, not how to design them." Volsunga said with an almost imperceptible nod.

Rune smiled. "That is greatly appreciated Battle-Brother, I think we have taken up too much of your time. Thank you for answering our questions, I hope we may become good colleagues one day."

"As do I, thank you Battle-Brother," Akaar added. The both nodded at their guest.

"You are.. uh.. welcome." Volsunga said as they left, trying to remember what he'd heard people say.

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