916.M30.
Zos.
The Tenth Chapter's heavy transport descended slowly.
Meron, who had just completed his training at the Legion's Librarius on Mancora, mastering the "Griffin's Roar" and becoming a Codicier, wearing a psychic hood made from natural psychic crystals from the Crystal Mirage, holding a force staff, reported.
"Company Captain, confirmed. No anti-air fire."
"I believe they have exhausted their resources in their civil war."
The Confessor Company Captain nodded.
He looked at the company's officers, his gaze lingering on Sasebo Tezuka for a moment.
He and Meron were the only two special individuals among the company's officers.
They were not the Father's Primarchs.
The Father had taken in the sons of that unnamed Primarch. They had been assigned to the Tenth Chapter.
Except for the 1st Company, every company in the Chapter had been dismantled and reorganized. Twenty-three new companies had been formed. His was one of them.
He, a former adjutant of the 18th Company, had been promoted for being a Court Baron.
The Confessor Captain recalled Lord Ramsey's speech at the Chapter's legion fortress on Ar Rija, the Rose Keep.
Lord Ramsey, whose appearance was identical to the Father's, but without the golden wings, had told them.
"From this day forward, they are members of the Tenth Chapter."
"They are Shadows of Orders."
The captains understood. They were to accept outsiders. This was the Father's trust in their Chapter.
"For the time being, your primary task is to make them deeply understand the Legion's culture, to help them fully integrate."
The Confessor Captain's mind echoed with Lord Ramsey's words. He thought of his face, so like the Father's, and straightened.
He would not fail the Father or Lord Ramsey's trust.
To accomplish the task, he had done his utmost to secure fifteen men from his former captain to bring to his new company.
His three adjutants were the squad leaders he had commanded as an adjutant.
His newly formed Command Squad Captain and Standard Bearer, and the ten squad leaders, were elite veterans under his command.
They were the backbone of the 36th Company.
After establishing the company, he had constantly observed everyone, searching for potential squad leaders.
Sasebo Tezuka immediately drew his attention. Most in the company respected him and obeyed his requests.
Sasebo also showed obvious reverence for the Father. This somewhat surprised him, but also dispelled his last reservations.
After learning more, he discovered that Sasebo and Meron were the leaders of the neophytes. He promoted Sasebo to be the company's first officer of former-Faceless origin.
The 36th Company's first mission was to accompany the Lucifer Blacks to Zos, to bring the planet into compliance.
"Company Captain, the Zosians have been forged into tough, ruthless warriors by their desperate war." Meron continued.
"Therefore, I believe standard integration procedures will not make them willingly accept. They have not yet agreed to our demands."
"We need to demonstrate overwhelming force, to make them realize their automatic weapons are useless against us. Only then will they accept our rule."
The Confessor Captain looked approvingly at Meron. "I adopt your suggestion."
He recalled that the 2nd Legion had been condemned for raising xenos and attacking humans. He opened the company's vox channel and gave a pre-battle speech.
"Shadows of Orders, we are ordered to bring this planet into compliance."
"During this process, we must strictly adhere to the Father's principles."
"We are Shadows of Orders. We are not the Wolves, who leave only ruins in their wake. We are not the World Eaters, who slaughter indiscriminately."
Sasebo Tezuka's fists clenched at the mention of the Space Wolves.
He hated that name and the iron-grey Wolves.
The Confessor Captain emphasized gravely. "The data provided by the Father, and the intelligence we have gathered, confirms Zos's brutal civil war has lasted eighty-five years."
"The war has destroyed their economy. Industrial facilities have been leveled by bombardment. The population has sharply declined."
"Every Zosian yearns for the end of this desperate war. This is what we should exploit. Therefore, we will use the show-of-force standard procedure."
The heavy transport landed. The Confessor Captain led his line of black-armored warriors down the ramp.
RAT-TAT-TAT...
Dense barrages erupted from behind collapsed houses and wrecked machinery, striking power armor, then ricocheting, clattering to the ground.
The Confessor Captain shouted. "Sasebo Tezuka, four o'clock."
Sasebo's squad raised their Bedrock-pattern bolters. With a roar, tongues of flame erupted from the muzzles.
Mass-reactive rounds slammed into the walls behind which the Zosians were hiding. Bricks and stone flew.
The shockwaves threw a dozen child soldiers, in youth corps uniforms, into the air.
Women and children, hiding behind cover, stared in terror at the black-armored giants, at the black, terrifying weapons larger than their own thin bodies.
The Captain and the "Listeners" in each squad, their ears twitching, heard the suddenly held breath and the pounding hearts in the silent battlefield.
They dared not move. They did not want to launch meaningless attacks.
"Meron." The Confessor Captain called.
Meron stepped forward. The vox channel of his helmet's amplifier was already set to the same frequency as his translator.
"Compatriots of Zos..."
Grey forests appeared in the Telepath's eyes. Sound waves, passing through the leaves, rippled, amplified. His booming voice, like thunder, echoed through the factory ruins.
CLANG!
A woman in rags dropped her autogun. She said something to the five child soldiers beside her.
The five children dropped their weapons. She crouched, arms spread, pulling two of them close.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG...
Women and children dropped their weapons.
The Confessor Captain left one squad behind and advanced towards the urban area where cannons still roared.
Three minutes later, the towering city wall came into view.
The Confessor Captain's eyes focused. Through the smoke, he saw a squad of black-armored warriors charging through the fire raining from the wall.
They were clad in black armor. Their speed rivaled that of Shadows of Orders halfway through augmentation.
As they ran, they raised their Necromunda-pattern lasrifles, unleashing dense barrages.
Blazing beams rained on the wall. Every shot hit.
The Lucifer Blacks.
CRASH!
A Lucifer Black, hit by a cannon, his chest plate shattered, his body blown apart.
The others did not slow. They charged the wall through the fire.
"That black-armored warrior is very skilled," Sasebo said admiringly. He ran with his Captain, his eyes fixed on the Lucifer Black who had first scaled the wall.
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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