Harbin-III-a
a small habitable moon orbiting Harbin III
Centuries of thick vegetation had reclaimed what might've once been a sprawling concrete temple, or perhaps a bunker. Now, it was almost indistinguishable from the surrounding woods in the way that a moss-covered rocky hill might've. But the clearing near the west entrance still revealed the stoic portal that led to its vast interior. The overgrowth had been uncovered by the Sepharem expedition that came to unearth the tomb's secrets. The clearing was being utilised for a makeshift camp. Small modular structures to act as temporary lodgings, as well as makeshift research facilities and storage. Next to the encampment, two improvised landing pads for the shuttles that carried supplies down from the corvette's and research vessel in orbit.
Inside the temple, the expedition of the Sepharem Institute for Archeotechnology was busy at work, as they had for the last couple of days. Leading this expedition was the Overseer. Once you had ascended the Sepharem hierarchy enough, a name would no longer suffice or do you justice. The Overseer was fortunate enough to have reached that point, only a boisterous title doing justice to the prestige and status he enjoyed. The Second Overseer of Distant Stars and Misbegotten Voids. His superiors had always been insistent on emphasising the Second part of his full title, as to remind him not to harbour any delusions about how highly-ranked he truly was. The Overseer sat on his floating chair, gazing ponderously at the table before him. It was decked with a variety of presumably decorative items that, while perhaps culturally significant, held little scientific value. As an archaeologist, such trinkets were nevertheless enthralling. Yet they were hardly the bounty he had come for. Still semi-functioning data-logs from millennia ago however, those were true rarities. It was the kind of anomaly almost too good to be true. Yet all evidence indicated that the ones they found here were the real thing. How these data-logs survived for this long was a mystery. The same question might be asked about the structure in general. The Overseer vaguely recognised its style. It was utilitarian in its geometry, but also sported the occasional ornate decoration that hinted at some deeper meaning. While some of its details had crumbled away, the whole of the structure was still remarkably intact. It was like a dream to a man such as the Overseer.
The Overseer sat suspended comfortably as he pensively gazed at some of the artefacts laid out on the table before him. They were but trinkets, surely. More significant were to be the contents of the data-logs. For now though, there was little else for him to do. One-third of the expedition was busy at work travelling into the deeper recesses of the structure, looking for anything else that might've given an indication towards this structure's purpose. Meanwhile, the AI the expedition had brought with them was busy translating the data-logs while the Overseer waited. Sinth, the Overseer's personal attendant, stood next to the table, indexing some of the artefacts. Sinth was a small but gaunt Sepharem, clad in the utilitarian jumpsuit of the Institute. His job description was part intern, and part apprentice to the Overseer. Seket towered over both of them. Seket wasn't a Sepharem, but belonged to one of the more common 'client' races that made up a significant portion of the Sepharem Council. Layers of thick armour plating covered what an unending mass of thick alien muscle, covering an equally impressive skeleton with bones that would be difficult to break even with a sledgehammer. His kind often made up the front-line for when the Sepharem didn't feel like taking too many risks. Ironically, this particular xenos had been named 'Seket', a somewhat common Sepharem name, as was quite a common tradition amongst his servile kind.
Seket stepped forward. "Your Excellency, it seems our long-range communications have been jammed." the large brute spoke unto his Sepharem master. Lowering his head in supplication as he spoke.
Sinth's eyes darted up from the table as he looked back and forth between Seket and his master. "A communication disruption can mean only one thing: invasion." the Overseer spoke.
He leaned back into his chair, his eyes still transfixed on the unearthed artefacts they had come here to collect. Yet his mind had already drifted to the more pressing concern of the digital silence. Already Seket was charging up his oversized railgun and raising it in preparation for a fight. Similarly, in the background, the motley assortment of Seket's brutes, -along with their smaller Sepharem handlers and several drones-, were already scrambling in anticipation of some confrontation. The researchers and archaeologists in the compound seemed mostly ignorant of the ongoing mobilisation, too engrossed in their own work.
Sinth's eyes glowed up with lines of data moving over his cornea. "Your Excellency, our drones outside report a small taskforce led by a cruiser in orbit around the planet. It seems to match the silhouette of an Asashio-class. Imperial."
"Imperial?" the Overseer asked incredulously. He ignored the pleading eyes of the researchers assembled around them.
"It appears that way, Your Excellency." Sinth replied.
Curious the Overseer was about to say, but before he could open his mouth to speak, he heard a voice over the comms: "Contact, west entrance!" The Overseer recognised the voice as one of the guards in the expedition's expanded protection detail. Very distantly, muffled by thick layers of stone and earth, the Overseer could hear the sounds of weapons being discharged. All this was happening too fast. Now, the researchers no longer seemed calm. Instead, they panicked, hurrying over to the Overseer with pleading eyes, awaiting being told what to do.
"Your Excellency. I suggest we move further inwards, your safety is of paramount importance." Seket spoke in his typical monotone, while nudging his weapon in the direction of the hallway behind them. The expedition had already made some headway into the interior of the structure, and for now it could be presumed reasonably safe. Sinth concurred: "I agree, Your Excellency. Let the soldiers outside handle this. The Overseer nodded in response. "Very well. We shall, for now, retreat further inwards while this matter is being resolved outside." Though he responded to Sinth and Seket, he turned to the researchers around him as he spoke. It was less a response to his aides, and more a reassurance towards his own people. Along with two more Sepharem guards, the procession moved further inwards, into the dark belly of the ancient structure. Behind them, a muffled orchestra of combat noises was still being played out.
As the light of the west entrance faded away as they turned around another corner, Seket spoke in an urgent tone: "Your Excellency. We have confirmation. Our assailants are not Imperials-"
"-They are Sepharem."
