913.M30.
The Shadows of Order fleet departed the Lecter system, leaving behind only the Custodes and the arriving 670th Expeditionary Fleet.
The Kyno Thousand-strong Cohort, one of the ancient Hundred Companies of the Solar Auxilia, which had participated in the Taxal decisive battle, took over subsequent matters.
Nareth stood before the viewport, watching the desolate planet recede.
'Soon, Lecter will be erased, like Hannibal and the 2nd Legion, "expunged from the records."'
He sighed inwardly, then clenched his fist almost imperceptibly.
'I will never suffer the same fate as Hannibal.'
His eyes flickered as he looked at the 670th Expeditionary Fleet.
He recalled that Alpharius, after being persuaded by the Cabal, had annihilated this distinguished Auxilia unit, which had shed blood for the Imperium since the Unification Wars, to keep a secret.
Thinking of Alpharius killing Ten Namatjira, he naturally thought of his guards, the Lucifer Blacks.
Alpharius had easily killed two Lucifer Blacks, then encountered the top-tier swordsman, Dinas Chayne.
In the duel, Chayne, with his superb swordsmanship, pierced Alpharius's armor, drawing a drop of blood.
Though he was then killed, it was a feat in itself.
'I recall Chayne was from Zos. He became a captain in Namatjira's private guard at thirty-eight.'
'His homeworld's civil war lasted nearly a century. He joined the war at eleven.'
'At thirteen, he had killed sixteen enemies on the battlefield, becoming a hardened veteran of a desperate war.'
He thought of the Lucifer Blacks he supported. After nearly a century of development, recruiting on Necromunda, they now numbered four hundred eighteen, their largest size since shedding blood for the Emperor during the Unification Wars.
'I once promised to help Theon and Laurent, to support them in rebuilding the Lucifer Blacks.'
'The civil war on Zos should continue for some time. Its population will sharply decline.'
'And the children of that world are excellent recruits. The youngest soldiers are only seven. Perfect for the Lucifer Blacks to recruit.'
With this thought, he decided that in 915, when he next used the Dice of Prophecy, he would divine Zos for the Lucifer Blacks, to support their growth.
'The Lucifer Blacks are the most suitable armed force, both as a sharp blade and as high-level guards for non-Shadows of Order personnel.'
'The Ventrillian Nobles are also skilled swordsmen, but not suited for guard duty. The same goes for the Catachan Devils, the Elysian Drop troops, and others.'
As he thought, familiar footsteps sounded behind him. Arsena's voice came.
"My Lord, the Legion's neophytes have boarded transports and are heading to Ar Rija to join the Tenth Chapter."
Considering the Tenth Chapter was the smallest, and that Hannibal's sons' ability to consume xenos was somewhat similar to the Hanged Man Pathway, he assigned them to Ramsey.
Though not "grazing" souls to gain beyonders abilities, they gained power through consumption.
Consuming flesh also resembled the "Rose Bishop's" use of flesh.
The Tenth Chapter, the smallest, after absorbing over thirty-six thousand warriors with the memories of the forgotten Faceless and three thousand neophytes, leaped to become the largest Chapter, with over sixty thousand men, a force exceeding the total of six Legions.
Those six Legions were the Salamanders, White Scars, Death Guard, Thousand Sons, World Eaters, and the 19th Legion.
In his memory, at the time of the Heresy, the smallest Legion, the Raven Guard, after the second large-scale exile of its Terran-born following the Battle of Gate Forty-two, had only eighty thousand men.
The Thousand Sons had eighty-five thousand. The Salamanders had eighty-nine thousand. The White Scars and Death Guard had ninety-five thousand.
Though the World Eaters had one hundred fifty thousand at the Heresy, Angron had just returned, and before the Butcher's Nails were developed, he cared nothing for the 12th Legion and had donated no genetic material to his Apothecaries.
Though the Space Wolves, in his memory, numbered between ninety-five thousand and one hundred thousand at the Heresy, because Shadows of Order had been the main force at the Flamewheels, and Hannibal had led the 2nd Legion, they had not lost a third of their Legion.
The Wolves had also not participated in the Third Rangdan War, to exterminate the Rangdan with the Dark Angels.
Therefore, even after a bloody war with the 2nd Legion, their strength remained near seventy thousand.
Had the Custodes not been present, and the loyal Faceless not surrendered, the Wolves' numbers would have been much lower.
In the War Council's records, due to Nareth's previously inflated casualties, the Tenth Chapter had only nine thousand four hundred men.
Now, it had grown to nearly fifty thousand, appearing as a Chapter propped up by the former Faceless.
In the Tenth Chapter's actual composition, the former Faceless outnumbered Shadows of Orders by about two to one.
He thought of the distant relationship the future Mortifactors Chapter would have with the Ultramarines.
'For now, they are only initially integrated.'
'They need the tempering of war to accept Shadows of Order's and the Tenth Chapter's culture, to truly integrate.'
He decided to deploy the Tenth Chapter in future campaigns against the Hrud, the Rampart Sector, the Quietude, and others, and to make them the main force in some.
"My Lord, the Emperor has summoned a new war council for tomorrow at ten, ship's standard time."
"I understand." He nodded, withdrawing his gaze. As he turned to walk to his office, he heard ethereal, layered voices.
With a thought, he overlooked the Kingdom of Disorder, looking at the expanding and contracting orb.
It glowed like a star.
Santiago Borgkamp.
His stride lengthened, his pace quickening.
Arriving at the Primarch's office, after confirming he was alone, he entered the Kingdom of Disorder.
Ascending his throne, he extended his spiritual energy, touching Santiago's orb.
Seeing him in a black robe, kneeling at an altar, he calmly pulled him in.
"My Lord, thanks to the many items You granted, I completed Your test. I established the coordinates in the Formless Wastes."
He offered the Flame Ring and the black blade to the Black Emperor.
The "Mentor of Disorder" activated his Spirit Vision. Seeing Santiago's spirit undamaged, he beckoned.
The two items flew into his hands. He asked.
"Detail your experience in the Formless Wastes."
Though he had occasionally observed Santiago's progress, he had not watched constantly.
He had too much to do. Modifying the Faceless's memories alone had consumed much of his time.
Santiago, prepared, reported methodically.
"I followed the coordinates You gave me to the Formless Wastes..."
"...Confirming that the 'Recordings' were primarily illusions, I named that region the Place of Illusions."
"...Using the mystical items You gave me, I slew a powerful daemon, but exhausted my spiritual energy. Then Samus appeared. I immediately 'Teleported' away."
Nareth nodded. "Your decision was wise."
Samus was among the most powerful daemons in the Warp. Leading his daemon army, he had forced Rogal Dorn to consider destroying the Phalanx.
In the Warp, at full power, he would be even stronger.
Enveloped in black mist, his eyes deepened. He thought.
'The "Traveler's" advancement ritual is still difficult. Santiago, clearly the strongest "Scribe," still encountered considerable trouble in the Formless Wastes.'
'The webway at Argos has long been invaded and occupied by Tzeentch. It can only be used once.
'I need to find another way.'
In his future plans for the beyonders system, Sequence 5s should be the core of the Chapters' main paths, not the high command.
And every company should have Sequence 5 beyonders from various paths as tactical supplements to handle different situations.
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu