Flight of Eagles

Aato Väyrynen paced around the hall without much thought to his movements. He idly surveyed the many trophies and objects on display, systematically cataloguing them all and processing their historical information. His fingers tapped against his armoured leg in a rapid beat, the ring of metal against metal quietly echoing in the enemy hall. The distant sound of footsteps caught Aato’s ear, and he stood to attention as the Emperor of Mankind arrived. Aato noted the cloaked item in the Emperor’s hand, large and bulky yet easily carried by the Emperor with only one of his hands. The Emperor smiled as he approached, Aato feeling the Emperor’s radiance extend and envelop him, filling him with hope and reinvigorating him.

“Aato, you must learn to be more patient, you will need to exercise patience in your future campaigns and negotiations.” The Emperor said with a firm but warm voice.

Aato bowed his head, “Of course, Father.”

The Emperor lifted the cloak object and held it out for Aato. “I have a gift for you, a relic I found a long time ago in my travels. I believe you will put it to good use.” Aato could see the edges of the Emperor’s mouth prick up at the last sentence, and he carefully unwrapped the cloak. Beneath it was something similar to an Astartes jump pack, but with several alterations and systems that Aato had never seen before in his studies. Aato rotated the jump pack in his hands, the various thrusters bristling and maintaining their orientation as he turned it. His mind raced with trying to understand the mechanisms of the jump pack, already calculating potential flight capacity. He looked up from his inspection to see the Emperor studying him.

“This technology is incredible, it is like nothing I have ever seen. Is it ancient Terran?”

The Emperor nodded. “Of a sort. It pre-dates the Imperium, created during the Age of Strife for a creation that has long since died. I salvaged its remains from the wreckage of that bygone age, and kept it for when I knew there would be someone who needed it. Now, it is yours.”

The Emperor began walking towards the door leading outside, and Aato hurried to follow him. Once outside, He took the machine off of Aato and gestured for him to kneel. Aato bent down and kneeled in front of the Emperor, who walked around behind him and placed the jump pack on the back of Aato’s armour. Aato felt the weight suddenly shift as the armour and jump pack connected and the Emperor worked. Within seconds, the work was complete and the Emperor walked back in front of Aato.

“There, they are ready. Rise, my son.”

Aato stood up, feeling the new power running through his armour. He flexed his fingers and the jump pack roared into life, a low rumble from all of the thrusters. Aato mentally faced the left and the thrusters turned in that direction. He mentally spun and the thrusters moved seamlessly in circles and returned his focus to the Emperor.

“Thank you, Father, I shall honour this *Siivet* dearly. Though there is a tradition from my home...”

The Emperor looked bemused. “Which is?”

Aato smiled, “When you are gifted a weapon, you must test it immediately to prove its worth.”

The Emperor returned his smile. “Of course, I did not expect a scientifically-minded individual to accept something without testing it. Go ahead.”

The Emperor took a step back, giving Aato space to power up the jump pack. The jump pack roared as the rush of air filled the courtyard. Aato shot into the air, rising above the towers of the Imperial Palace in the span of a few seconds. He spun and flipped as he went, pushing his body and equipment as far as it could go, shouting with exhilaration as he went. He eventually slowed, stabilising his course and gently gliding to a stop hovering in midair. The Emperor rose to meet him, having no need for artificial equipment to do so. The Emperor came to a stop alongside Aato, managing to remain a huge presence without even needing to physically tower over Aato.

Aato turned to his father. “There is still one more way to test this. A race.”

The Emperor laughed, a hearty, booming laugh that echoed in the surrounding Himalazias. “As you wish, after this I must return to work and you to your training. I shall give you a head start.”