The Minad woke up to the sound of a crackling fire, and pain that nearly made him black out again. He started almost immediately as he opened his eyes and jumped to his feet, only to see the source of the sound. A small campfire had been set up, and surrounding it were two figures wearing armor like his, in that stark white armor with the black stripes. They had no helmets either. Both had snow white skin and glowing eyes. The first had eyes that glowed a deep blue and the second eyes growing a bright green. He reached down to the leg compartment with his sidearm only to remember the destruction it had suffered. Both of the figures raised their hands in calming gestures as they stood.

The blue-eyed one spoke first. "Calm down! We're with you, like you. Minad. You're safe. We found you yesterday after that fight. Surprised you aren't in the rage, if we're honest. Thought yeh might have been with the last kill there."

He could see their teeth as the first spoke. Each was as sharp as a razor.

Then the Green-eyed one, "Safe now, we've set up camp for the moment but we were bringing you back to a small safehouse that a couple of our kind managed to dig out. Completely safe."

Then the Minad spoke. "What...What the hell is going on? Why did those Imperium soldiers attack me?"

That got their attention alright. As they both looked at each other. Before the blue-eyed one spoke "You're kidding right? They tried to kill all of us. Brought in every Minad still alive in the Imperium to that rally field. Declared they'd finally gotten suitable replacements for us, that we wouldn't have to serve as living weapons anymore. Then they started slaughtering us. The Mauchinians came in droves. Last time I'd seen so many was during the Invasion of Jikorin. With them came those Mechs, and then the giant suits of powered armor. They called them Imperial Warriors, the armor."

The green-eyed one spoke "It's been a week since then, and I know you were there. All of us were. Every last one of our people left alive. So how could you not know? Hell you can't even be fake, way you look and your arms are healing."

He sat for a moment, processing all of it before speaking. They weren't trying to kill him outright, and seemed eager to talk. In his current state they could've likely killed him with ease. Not to mention their armor was almost exactly like his, just less damaged. He'd yet to see anything wearing armor like his until now. "I don't remember anything."

They spoke at once. "Anything?" "At all? What about your name?"

His reply was simple. "Nothing. I woke up missing my arm, hurt badly. A day ago, no two now. Went from there."

The two others looked at each other, before sitting down. Then the blue-eyed one spoke. "Fuck, well. You're safe now. I'm Alavaros, that's Vossan there." He nodded his head towards the Green-eyed one, who spoke next after a moment of consideration.

"I don't know who you are, one of the Ancients with us might. They're ah...the oldest of us. They were alive when the Imperium destroyed Alathras, our home. Our world. Can you tell us about everything that happened since you woke up? And where. We do have an idea of where several groups of us have gone missing since."

He told them without reservation, the entire story. They listened with rapt attention, their faces taking on a curious look upon his telling of what his implants had told of the M.I.U Kelxath's damage. looks of disgust and rage when he recounted his encounter with the bugmen and their eggs. An overall look of sorrow as he ended it. Then Alavaros spoke.

"We'll have to bring you to the Ancients, we never sent any of us to Jerthal, the city you woke up in. Didn't even know Velathurans were there. Probably a raid to take advantage of the chaos. The Imperium thought if they overwhelmed us with sheer numbers and those new Imperial Warriors they'd made that we'd be easy pickings. A few million corpses have taught them their lesson I'd say. Most of us who could fled the planet in the first days, stealing ships. Most are locked down under guard now, lot harder to steal when you'll bring down hundreds of their willing slave soldiers on you."

"Aye....we'll get you sorted, and in the worst case a new name for you. Even if we can't replace your clan name, I'd say you've the look of the Guardian caste to you. The warriors of our people."

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They treated his injuries to the best of their ability, salving the burns left behind. The stab wound had mostly closed up at the least but the skin was severely scorched and almost melted looking still around the edges of where he'd been pierced. The gash was slowly but surely filling in as well. Apparently burns drastically reduced a Minad's healing capabilities, which increased slowly but surely through age.

Afterwards the rest of the night was spent talking, mostly them having him tell his story again and asking him for specific details as they seemed to be looking for any hints or clues to his situation or why he was in the city. Finally Vossan spoke. "It'll be day soon, and so it's time to start moving. Harder to find us. You've been through all manners of a hell clearly and we'll get you to the safehouse. Take this." He held out a knife, one he recognized as the one he'd fought with. He took it as the two began to put out the fire, and the three began walking.

As they walked the system built into him began to warn him with every hour that passed, of the M.I.U growing closer to reactivation. They moved carefully through the sprawling plains and small towns. Shattered factories and industrial sectors. Even across the remnants of a devastated field of aircraft that'd never been given the chance to launch. They only talked briefly at times during the journey, mostly staying silent as Vossan and Alavaros spoke of how they'd survived the start of the killing.

There'd apparently been about a million Minad, packed into squares across the planet that were reserved for festivals and marching, and at each one Grarvian officers had come out, a rare sight as Grarvians were considered royalty in the Imperium. Each had apparently given a speech about how the Minad could finally rest, and how they'd served the Imperium well. How it was time to be replaced. And then giant suits of powered armor had strode onto the stages as the royals slipped back. The last things they'd said before Mauchinians had started pouring in from the surrounding streets and the suits of armor opened fire were to tell them to behold their replacements, the Imperial Warriors.

They'd fought their way through one of the main streets with a group of their fellows. and cutting through the Mauchinians that tried to stop them, only for a Mech to turn the corner on them with a squad of Imperial Warriors supporting it, giant suits of powered armor carrying pulse cannons. Most were killed and by the time the fight was over dozens of Mauchinian warbands were rushing towards them. The two had only barely survived and had been running for three days before they came across the safehouse that'd been set up.

They continued to tell him about smaller details of the trip until they reached the so called safehouse, a cave entrance with carving marked on the outside and several more Minad. Wearing armor exactly like his and his new compatriots and carrying rifles similar to what the Mauchinians earlier had, blocky as well but sleeker still than those of the Mauchinians and laid with different markings. Vossan addressed them with more cheer in his voice then he'd ever had since he'd woken up. "We're back! With another one, getting harder by the day to find more of us!"

Just like that the two guarding the entrance ushered them in. As he entered the entrance slowly began to change, from stone and dug out rock to hastily constructed walls of metal and powered cables that looked like whoever had put them up only knew half of what they were doing. And as they went deeper into the safe haven, on cue the notification appeared in his vision.

Warning! Detecting severe corruption in M.I.U Kelxath Neural Matrix! Drift from Imperium protocol is likely upon full reactivation. Advise immediate report to nearest Imperium base to initiate M.I.U Reset. Time until reactivation: Four hours.