[Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor] Chapter 135 (Patreon)

Boundless Void

The Starspire Spaceport floated silently in the void of space.

While the specific structure and scale of each spaceport varied, most were constructed as concentric ring systems.

The core housed critical machinery and administrative centers, while the outer layers were sprawling, bustling dockyards layered upon one another.

Tens or hundreds of thousands of people lived within these massive installations, many of whom never set foot on a planet their entire lives.

In essence, the spaceport was not just a dock for starships but a self-contained city in space.

During Urth's golden era, the Starspire Spaceport was a vibrant trade hub.

Starships of all kinds bustled in and out, carrying goods and travelers. Back then, Starspire was the only spaceport in the sector, making it indispensable.

It offered not just maintenance and resupply services but also a myriad of entertainment facilities for weary spacefarers.

Crew members, after months aboard their ships, could indulge in everything the port had to offer—casinos, smoke dens, and less reputable establishments.

The streets buzzed with activity under the yellow glow of steam-powered lamps, with transport canals threading through the labyrinthine streets, navigated by steamboats and railcars.

Crude sailors speaking a cacophony of languages swarmed the entertainment district, their pockets brimming with money to burn. They drank, gambled, and partook in fleeting pleasures, often ending their debauchery in violence, which drew the ire of the port's enforcers.

After squandering their earnings, the sailors returned to their ships, pockets empty but spirits lifted, ready to carry their cargo across the galaxy.

"That was truly a magnificent era," Eden murmured as he studied the historical data on his slate.

It was a time of human expansion and prosperity, an era of hope.

Now, the galaxy was a hellscape, defined by war, suffering, and devastation under the relentless assaults of heretics and xenos.

Starspire's decline began when a larger port was constructed in Martilla, the sector's central planet.

Trade routes shifted, and Starspire lost its status as the primary hub. Urth, too, fell into decline, pivoting to mining to sustain its economy, which led to severe environmental degradation.

Then came war.

Conflict erupted between planets in the sector, spreading like wildfire. Starships clashed in space, their guns roaring. Victors laid waste to enemy planets, obliterating cities and civilizations.

When the dust settled, the Goliath Sector was a barren wasteland. Urth suffered greatly, with even its moon scarred by orbital bombardment, leaving a halo of debris around it.

Amidst the devastation, Starspire survived, albeit heavily damaged.

In time, the planet saw a brief resurgence under the Ganger Dynasty, and Starspire was repaired, once again shining among the stars.

But then came the Imperium.

A colossal fleet darkened the skies above Starspire and Urth. Drop pods fell like meteors, disgorging crimson-armored Space Marines.

The Ganger Dynasty's Red-Eyed Mad King was reduced to pulp by the Astartes, and the planet fell under Imperial control.

Eden's Grant family, loyal to the Imperium, was appointed as the planet's governing dynasty—a reign that lasted until now.

Years of oppressive tithes and environmental ruin had left Urth a shadow of its former self. The Great Rift compounded the suffering, unleashing Warp storms, Chaos, and xenos invasions that nearly destroyed the planet.

Yet, Urth had found its savior in Eden Grant, who restored stability and began its rejuvenation.

Eden gazed into the star-speckled void, where Starspire loomed in the distance—a silent, dormant colossus.

For five years, the spaceport had received no resupply. Many sections were dark, their power reserves long depleted.

...

Thud!

The transport pod jolted before coming to a halt.

Eden pocketed his data slate and stepped toward the hatch.

Soon, Starspire would be fully restored as a naval supply hub and a shining trade center, once again becoming a beacon among the stars.

But as Eden disembarked onto the steel floor of the port, his optimism was met with grim reality.

The docking area was strewn with bloodstains and corpses.

Human remains lay scattered across the expansive floor, remnants of a desperate struggle for survival. When disaster struck, many had sought refuge here, hoping to escape to the surface, only to be trapped and slaughtered by Chaos monstrosities.

Among the human remains were fresh Chaos beast carcasses, torn apart by the heavily armored Genestealers.

In the distance, the sounds of fierce combat echoed as Genestealers and Defense Force soldiers fought to secure key locations.

"Governor!"

Carter, leading a squad of bodyguards, approached Eden. Their mission was to protect him.

"Take me to the communications center!" Eden ordered.

The communications center had previously been used by a survivor to send a distress signal to the surface. There might still be clues to their whereabouts, and securing the facility would allow Eden to broadcast messages to any remaining survivors.

Rescuing survivors was paramount—they possessed irreplaceable knowledge of Starspire's operations and expertise in ship maintenance. Their loss would set back efforts by decades.

Guided by Carter, Eden and his guards fought through Chaos forces, finally reaching the communications center.

The facility was far larger and more intricate than expected, a massive hall filled with delicate machinery.

"Help us!"

A woman's desperate cry echoed as they entered.

"Save them!" Eden commanded, kicking open the door to the source of the voice.

A black tendril shot out from the darkness, aiming for his head.

Eden moved faster, grabbing the tendril and yanking the creature into the light.

The Chaos beast crashed onto the hall floor—a grotesque amalgamation of human forms, its body bristling with sharp tendrils.

"Help us!"

The plea came again, this time from a withered female head fused into the creature's body.

(End of Chapter)

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