As they approached it had struck them. How? How in God's name was this possible? Did the Mardakii come from the Drakari Imperium? The bastards! They will pay for it. Vujić drew out his sword and instinctively, Berrocal leaned his back on Vujić's. They were going in for their last stand if they need be. For they wouldn't allow to share the same fate as the first Stoinian generation. Standing in mere seconds within a defensive posture in the middle of the walkway to the palace, Berrocal didn't hesitate. Berrocal clicked on his comm and alerted the Vindicator.

''Legate Berrocal to Vindicator, we have Mardakii elements on the ground. I repeat we have Mardakii elements on the ground.'' 

"Copy that Sir, dispatching Pelicans to your location now. Give them hell."

Vujić stared at the Drakari guards as they moved into position surrounding them as there was no need for such a provocation. Confused, but determined the guards did their duty and if need be they would kill the Stoinians.
Berrocal then turned to the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, you better have a good explanation for why you have Mardakii in your ranks."

Then he saw the Carsicoid pilots again. No... it couldn't be. Were they Qoxex? What madness is this Imperium? Berrocal then changed his gaze towards the pilots, looking intimidating at them.

"While we are on the subject... Your Carsicoid aren't Qoxex by any chance?"

It had slipped through the Stoinian radars that the Carsicoid had a striking resemblance to the Qoxex. Xenos from a more forgotten war. Since these xenos had been named differently, it had gone under their radar and rolled with it.