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Ladies... Everyone... Welcome to Refuge.
As you may know, the circle of black fire through which you passed was a warp gate. You are no longer on Verlon IV. On your home world, the Imperial fleet has not yet appeared. The Imperial Guard line is for the most part holding against the Orcs, but if no reinforcements arrive - and from what we know of Imperial fleet movements, none will - it is only a matter of time until the Guard collapses. Thus, as of now, it seems unlikely you will be able to return to Verlon.
Refuge, for most of you, will not be a final destination. Refuge is a death world. Please do not attempt to get to the surface. The safeguards between here and the surface are there for good reason. Refuge is a world of underground refugee camps, tank farms, warp gates and armories. It was designed to absorb large numbers of refugees, sort them, and move them on to appropriate destinations.
Today, the priorities are hot showers, clean clothes, hot food, and a bed. Tomorrow, we will ask you more questions than are truly our business. These questions are designed to help bring kindred, friends, coworkers, comrades at arms and other associates together. We will also be doing DNA matching, the better to place children with their true next available kin. You are under no obligation to give us information. We will not take DNA samples from the unwilling. However, this is your best opportunity to avoid finding yourself isolated light years away from anyone you know and love. For military, political and logistical reasons, we can not send all Vorlon refugees to a single destination.
We ask you to cooperate. We ask you to help. The Verlon operation has pressed Refuge to its limits. If you are a food service worker, and the food line is moving too slowly, give us a hand. If you are a parent, teacher or day care worker, please give us a hand with the children. After we get settled, we also have need for munitions workers, tunnelers, medical personnel, and many other professions.
Those who do not cooperate, those who complain, will get off Refuge first. Those who cooperate, those who demonstrate useful skills and a willingness to use them, will be given first choice on where they settle.
A few words on the Ladies of the Night. We are an all female armed service, with male auxiliaries. Most of the veteran women are psis. Only a few of the most veteran are potent psis, comparable in strength to an Imperial chaplain or librarian. The Imperium teaches that all non-Imperial psis are ugly, evil, anti social and a threat to the Imperium. We teach that a psi that focuses her training and use of psi towards controlling, terrifying and killing others becomes obsessed with control, terror and death. Thus, the first talent we try to teach is healing. Thus, for every tour of battle our psis take, there will be multiple tours of training, healing, family leave or athletic leave. While we use psi in battle, it is absolutely necessary that we never become obsessed with battle. Those who focus their entire existence on battle become no better than librarians, chaplains, inquisitors or demons.
We focus on love. The Imperium counts us as heretics. We see ourselves as defenders of humanity. We have been forced to defend ourselves against Imperial forces on many occasions. We neither seek nor enjoy such confrontation. Our preferred enemies are the Orcs, Tyranids, Dark Eldar and other sentient vermin. By far, most of our missions are rescues. When a population is facing genocide, we intervene. When we cannot prevent the genocide, we get refugees such as yourselves off. We save who we can. When we can prevent total genocide, when we can protect the planet's people and culture, we help repopulate the planet. Most of the planets we can resettle you on will be scarred by war. While Verlon will likely be one of our defeats, you will likely settle somewhere were we found victory. I must warn you not all your future neighbors will be pleased to accept refugees possibly tainted by Chaos heretics. No, this isn't fair. The Universe is not fair.
We hope to grow. Most of the women that protected your refugee column were once refugees themselves. We hope many of you who have been saved might serve with us long enough to help save someone else. None of you have earned first priority to choose where you will eventually settle. First priority goes to the Ladies who protected you.
Right now, however, let's work towards showers, clean clothes, a hot meal, and a warm bed. If you are protecting small children, please use the center door...
Next : History
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Intro - Refuge
- History - Religion |