988.M30.
Kingdom of Disorder, Third Layer Space.
Nareth picked up the gleaming triangular prism. Information about Heliosa flashed through his mind.
'The Heliosa system is located in the Ark Reach Cluster, a star cluster comprised of six star systems.'
The Ark Reach Cluster was far smaller than the Cyclops Cluster in the Coronid Deeps, which encompassed over a hundred systems.
'Many worlds within this sector originate from a diverse genetic baseline. They have been isolated from the human race for millennia, showing significant differences from the prototype genome, but within acceptable parameters.'
'The worlds of the six systems are connected by trade routes and share a common defensive network.'
'The Heliosa system is a binary star system, inhabited by the Avenians, in the future it would be known as Ark Reach Secundus .'
'...'
Nareth had long planned to advance his Sequence 6 "Barons of Corruption" to "Mentor of Disorder" before the Heresy.
The many civilizations of the Ark Reach Cluster had developed for millennia, satisfying the ritual requirement of eleven hundred years.
Besides Zadkiel, Chapter Master of the Quilborn of the Word Bearers, who had already advanced on the Olamic Quietude homeworld, Nareth had not summoned Balsar Kurthuri, who had advanced as Chief Librarian of the Raven Guard.
He did not wish to become too close to Balsar, lest it affect Malcador's future selection of him as the first Grand Master of the Grey Knights, Ogen.
Furthermore, given the Grey Knights' future duties, completing the advancement ritual would not be difficult.
A total of twenty were advancing this time. Besides Luther, the Master of The Order and the Dark Angels' deputy commander, the rest were full-fledged commanders of the Eleventh Chapter.
Chapter Master Pell Koscheny, First Captain Gibbs, Second Captain Kirkland, Third Captain Chambers, and fifteen others.
The Ark Reach Cluster would not only allow the "Barons of Corruption" to complete their advancement rituals; the Shrike and Phoenix Court libraries on Heliosa also held immense value.
The snow-shrikes' swiftness proved difficult even for Ahzek Ahriman, a premier divination-psyker, to counter perfectly.
Their beaks could pierce the power armor of the Thousand Sons' Scarab Occult Terminators as easily as a knife through tofu, making them a likely source of potion ingredients.
The Phoenix Court's library had amazed even Magnus, who had absorbed the accumulated knowledge of countless civilizations during the Great Crusade.
A vast amount of detailed information about Heliosa and the Avenians flashed through Nareth's mind. He then silently intoned:
'The star chart from the Kalium Gate to Heliosa.'
'...'
After intoning it eleven times, he tossed the Dice of Prophecy.
The triangular prism tumbled through the air several times. As it fell into Nareth's open hand, it projected a brilliant star chart.
He released the prism, then turned his wrist. A data crystal, dark and lifeless, appeared in his hand.
The Primarch channeled psychic energy into it. As the information streamed in, the crystal grew brighter.
Nareth stepped out, returning to the real world.
He took the data crystal and walked from his office to the Primarch's audience chamber.
Twelve metal poles descended from the vaulted ceiling. The banners of each Chapter hung from them, three on the left, four on the right, and five in the center, arranged asymmetrically.
"My Lord," the twelve Chapter Master and the attendant company captains rose as one.
For most of the Shadows of Order's Chapter Master, it was their first time attending a Legion council in the material realm.
Howard Fender, Chapter Master of the First Chapter, and Thierry Vierra of the Eighth, who had followed the Black Emperor from Vostroya's rise, and Adams of the Fourth, Sanchez of the Seventh, and other former Reapers, still remembered the gatherings at the Wheel of Fire when the Legion was small.
At that time, Wilshire of the Second Chapter, Flamini of the Sixth, and William Wood of the Twelfth had not yet become Shadows of Order.
Nareth handed the data crystal to Arsena. After Arsena had shared its contents with the assembled lords and captains, Nareth surveyed the group.
Since the Rangdan War, he had again summoned all Chapters. The Ark Reach Cluster campaign had bogged down three Astartes Legions.
After the Word Bearers first discovered the sector, the Space Wolves joined the war and successfully conquered four of the star systems.
Bogged down in the campaign, Leman Russ requested assistance from Magnus. Wolf Lord Amlodhi Skarssen Skarssensson of the 5th Great Company was ordered to bring the Thousand Sons to the battlefield.
'Hmm, if it weren't for Russ's desire to have the cunning old wolf, Ohthere Wyrdmake, steal intelligence from the Thousand Sons, his decision to ask for help would be completely incomprehensible.'
'Russ would never ask for help from Magnus, with whom he was at odds, without first seeking aid from Guilliman, whom he respected and who commanded the most powerful Legion at the time.'
A memory suddenly surfaced: the conflict between the Thousand Sons and the Space Wolves at the Phoenix's Crag.
Thousand Sons psykers, guarding the library from being burned by the Wolves, used their powers to tear apart the charging Fenrisian wolves.
Thousand Sons and Space Wolves stood face-to-face, shoving each other.
Russ killed Hasta of the Cult of Pavoni, a Thousand Son afflicted with flesh mutation.
Magnus and Russ drew weapons on each other. If not for Lorgar, who was a friend to both, they would have come to blows there and then.
Before leaving, Russ used the Kraken's Bane, which he had taken from Duram and displayed on the weapon rack in his office, to cut his palm and swear a blood oath:
"Your hands are stained with the blood of Fenris. There will be a reckoning between us, Magnus."
'Russ, I have indeed been too kind to you. This time, you won't have to swear that blood oath.'
Nareth gathered his thoughts, his attention returning to the Ark Reach Cluster campaign.
After the Thousand Sons were brought in, they managed to conquer the fifth system.
But as the Ullanor Crusade reached its climax, the three Legions at Heliosa became bogged down in a bitter struggle.
By 999.M30, the three Legions were nearing their pre-Heresy peak strengths: The Space Wolves numbered between ninety-five thousand and one hundred thousand.
The Thousand Sons numbered eighty thousand to eighty-five thousand.
The Word Bearers were a special case. On the surface, they numbered one hundred to one hundred and fifty thousand, but after Lorgar's pilgrimage to the Eye of Terror, he had begun large-scale recruitment.
Like the Shadows of Order now, the Word Bearers were inflating their numbers. Their actual strength at the Heresy exceeded two hundred thousand.
Nareth estimated that no more than one hundred thousand Word Bearers were deployed in the Ark Reach Cluster.
Considering other deployments, such as the 3rd Great Company's campaign against the Olamic Quietude, he estimated the three Legions had committed roughly two hundred and thirty thousand troops to the Ark Reach Cluster. Yet they were still bogged down at Heliosa.
In his memory, Ahriman's 1st Fellowship, the 2nd Fellowship of Phosis Tkar, Magister Templi of the Cult of the Raptora, and the 3rd Fellowship of Hathor Maat of the Cult of Pavoni, had killed over three million Avenians warriors in the six months before the final battle alone.
Nareth decided to commit two hundred and seventy thousand Shadows of Order to the Heliosa campaign, without disrupting the current front lines or defenses of any Chapter.
'A partial mobilization of the Legion already exceeds the forces committed by three other Legions in the Ark Reach Cluster.' He nodded, satisfied.
After ensuring all Chapter Master and participating company captains had reviewed the information, Nareth turned his gaze to the "Barons of Corruption" of the Eleventh Chapter.
"This campaign will not only secure the entire sector for us, but also has a special objective."
"I will assign the campaign in five of the systems to the Eleventh Chapter."
"You are to scout intelligence on each world, then plan and lead the war of conquest."
After the war council concluded, Nareth returned to his office.
Luther, cloaked in black and wearing a crystal mask, was already waiting at the door.
"My Lord."
Nareth nodded, walked to his desk, and sat down to hear Luther's report.
"...This is what Merir Astelan said to me."
Nareth nodded slightly. Astelan's words stirred a memory.
'Hmm, similar to what Astelan said in my memory, but the timing is different. I recall that was roughly around the time of the Heresy, when astropathic communication was disrupted.'
'Still, Astelan is indeed a pragmatist who harbors a deep hatred for Lion.'
'With the "Baron of Corruption's" power more visibly manifest than Luther's was at that time, it's not surprising he switched allegiance early.'
He thought of the conspirators Luther had just mentioned and gave his command.
"I will grant you power soon. Upon your return to Caliban, try to win over Merian and Nereidas."
Luther's eyes gleamed. He knelt on one knee, his voice thick with emotion: "By Your will."
....
Term Correction
Featherquill Scions -> Quillborn
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu