Luka approached his first foray into the Warhammer universe with meticulous care, selecting the miniatures he'd deploy with precision.
His first choice was the figure to embody his consciousness. Limited by his Level I authority, Luka couldn't use his beloved Astartes or Imperial Guard, let alone his second-favorite Necrons, narrowing his options significantly.
His collection, worth 20,000 points, was vast but heavily skewed: 10,000 points in Space Marines from various chapters, 5,000 in Necrons, and the remaining 5,000 split among Astra Militarum, Sisters of Battle, Custodes, Imperial Knights, Inquisition, and Mechanicus. Early in his hobby, Luka had been obsessed with painting, amassing a diverse array of models more for aesthetics than gameplay. With no local opponents, he'd poured his energy into collecting and customizing.
This quirk left him with viable options: Sisters of Battle, Inquisition, and Astra Militarum units were all within his Level I permissions.
Given the 500-point cap, Luka couldn't go overboard. After careful thought, he chose the legendary Inquisitor Eisenhorn as his avatar, paired with a squad of Kasrkin Commandos and a Sisters of Battle unit from the Order of the Sacred Rose.
Inquisitor Eisenhorn
Kasrkin Commando Squad
Sisters of Battle Squad
A key detail: while Luka could use miniatures modeled after famous characters like Eisenhorn, they weren't the real deal—just proxies with matching attributes. His Eisenhorn would manifest as an Ordo Xenos inquisitor with psychic talents and seasoned expertise, but without the unique essence of the original. The same applied to other named figures.
This didn't faze Luka. As long as the proxies performed, he wasn't hung up on commanding the Emperor's literal champions. "If the fake coin spends, it's as good as gold," he mused.
Following the servo skull's instructions, Luka placed his chosen miniatures on the box's floating platform. A golden aura enveloped them, signaling their readiness for deployment into the Warhammer world. To tether his consciousness, he needed only to touch one.
Without hesitation, Luka pressed his finger to the Eisenhorn figure.
A brief dizziness hit him, his perspective shifting as if he'd become the miniature. Golden sand swirled up from the box's base, forming the outlines of a room around him. The miniatures, too, were swept up in the glow, materializing as life-sized figures within the chamber.
"So, I've crossed over?" Luka muttered, flexing his new form. "Feels… normal." Knowledge flooded his mind—Inquisition protocols, psychic techniques—making him slightly disoriented but not truly alien. He now wore an inquisitor's coat, a bolt pistol at his hip, and gripped a psychic staff. Otherwise, little felt different.
Except, of course, for the Kasrkin and Sisters of Battle standing at attention beside him, awaiting his orders.
"They're as real as anyone," the servo skull intoned, hovering nearby. "Command them as you would any soldier."
"Got it. Where are we?" Luka asked, adjusting his coat to embody the inquisitor's gravitas.
"You are aboard a Sword-class frigate of the Imperial Navy, en route to your destination planet," the skull replied, projecting a holographic briefing. "Your destination is Rostov II, the sole Imperial colony in a sub-sector of the Mariupol Sector and its administrative capital.
"The Mariupol Sector is a recently claimed region. Rostov II's colony, established less than 70 years ago, remains rudimentary. Its population of 1.2 billion consists mainly of Ecclesiarchy immigrants and penal world convicts. The planet's primary powers are retired Astra Militarum regiments and the Ecclesiarchy, which began spreading its faith after the arrival of religious settlers."
"Sounds promising," Luka said, slipping into character. "A fresh world, ripe for shaping. The Emperor's generosity knows no bounds." His tone carried an inquisitor's weight.
"Character integration complete. Novice mission activated," the servo skull announced.
Mission: Becoming Governor
Objective: Complete the governor's inauguration ceremony and assume the role of Planetary Governor of Rostov II.
"Governor, huh? Doesn't sound like a cakewalk," Luka murmured, narrowing his eyes. He turned to his retinue. "Check your gear and prep for combat. We might face trouble."
The Kasrkin and Sisters of Battle snapped to action, inspecting their weapons and readying for conflict. In the Warhammer universe, where even time travelers wept at the chaos, preparation was everything. The Imperium's stance on planetary governors was lax—pay the tithe, avoid overt treason, and you could do as you pleased. But that freedom invited rebellion. A new governor like Luka could easily face a coup from those thinking, "I could do better."
Rebellions were practically a governor's rite of passage in the Imperium.
"Shame we can't use Astartes," Luka sighed. "A squad of Terminators would squash any uprising." Shaking off the thought, he steeled himself, pushed open the door, and strode out, his Kasrkin and Sisters of Battle falling in step behind him.