Kingdom of Disorder, Fourth Layer. Nareth sat high upon his throne.
Lucius knelt on one knee, reporting.
"...At Mondus Gamma, we found three thousand six hundred and nineteen completed suits of the new power armor."
Nareth knew that although Mondus Gamma was similar in scale to Mondus Occulam, Lukas Chrom's forge had lower output than Zagreus Kane's.
These assets, which had not fallen into Camba Diaz's hands, would have become equipment for the rebels.
He remembered that Diaz, after encountering the Kaban machines, had suffered a complete rout.
With the support of the Jovian Grenadiers, the two Imperial Fists companies had not been annihilated; fifty Imperial Fists survived.
Diaz had failed Dorn's mission, taking only a few spoils from the eastern sector.
Most of Mondus Gamma's equipment had been sent to the rebel Legions. Its forges continued to churn out war materiel for the traitors.
Sigismund had also not achieved all his objectives. Though he had taken the assets, Mondus Occulam had been occupied, and its largely intact facilities continued to forge weapons for the rebels.
"The Legion lost four thousand seven hundred and twenty battle-brothers. The Dusk Raiders lost one thousand eight hundred and thirty."
After Lucius's report, Nareth knew that the greater success compared to the Imperial Fists came down to a disparity in force.
No matter what strategy they employed, four companies of Imperial Fists could not have held off the Legio Mortis attacking, nor could they have defeated Lukas Chrom's Kaban machines.
He had deployed over thirty-one thousand warriors, more than fifteen times the Imperial Fists' strength. Naturally, he had achieved greater results.
Lucius, Vespasian, and Nathaniel Garro had not only secured the Mark VII Aquila-pattern power armor prototype and STC, the Mark VI Corvus-pattern STC and seven thousand five hundred completed suits, but had also destroyed Mars's two largest forges, crippling the rebels' production capacity.
The death of Archmagos Lukas Chrom, who had not fallen in the original timeline, not only cost Kelbor-Hal a trusted ally but also put an end to the Kaban machines.
Arkhan Land then reported. "Koriel Zeth abandoned the Forge of the Magma City. We activated the magma self-destruct system, burying the traitor God-machines of the Legio Mortis."
Nareth nodded. As in his memory, the destroyed Magma City had buried an Emperor-class Titan.
Arkhan had made good use of his unique mystical astronomical powers, preserving the three Archangel cannons, and House Taranis had not lost most of its strength.
More critically, Koriel Zeth and her apprentice-Magi had survived.
While Lucius's primary task had been seizing assets, Arkhan had used his status and reputation as an Archmagos to persuade more of the loyalist Magi not to remain on Mars to die.
Leaning back on his throne, Nareth, considering his objectives and plans for the Heresy, formulated his orders: "Maximus Karania will lead the main force of the Legio Tempestus to the Coronid New Zone, following Horus."
"Arkhan, relay to the Storm Lord to proceed to Elysia and use the teleportation gate to reach the Coronid New Zone."
"After he addresses the Legion, I believe some Titans will follow him."
This would not only weaken the forces attacking the Coronid New Zone but also bolster Flamini's defenses.
"House Taranis will escort Ipluvien Maximal, Tycho, Matthias Kevlar, and the other twelve Magi to Spire Zero, to rebuild their forges."
"The rest will proceed immediately to Cthonia, homeworld of the traitor Primarch, Horus."
He remembered that during the Heresy, there had been three Sieges of Cthonia.
Dorn had sent his least favored commander, Castellan Evander Garrius, with the 9th and 14th Battalions, elements of the Space Wolves' 13th Great Company not lost in the Webway, three companies of the Custodes, and the Invictarii, to take Cthonia.
After years of development, Cthonia was not only a developed industrial world, but its population was also an excellent source of recruits.
Cthonians were a major source of manpower for the Imperial Fists in the late Heresy period.
Horus, focused on his own strategy, had not committed significant forces to retake his Legion's homeworld.
"Upon securing Cthonia, Lucius, you will immediately begin recruiting there. Establish the Flawless Blade Chapter."
"Arkhan, you will assist in establishing defenses with the Macro-Hypori Legion, Exom."
Nareth would not immediately have the Squat Alliance drag Cthonia away.
He knew Cthonia would become a gathering point for survivors of shattered Legions and loyalists from traitor Legions.
To gain more recruits, he would not move Cthonia just yet.
"Then, Vespasian and Nathaniel will join Archmagos Zeth and come to me on the galactic eastern edge."
He remembered that before the rebels achieved a decisive advantage in the Siege of Terra, they had not diverted forces to Cthonia.
Only after the traitors had all but won did Horus allow the Cthonian-born Sons of Horus to retake their homeworld.
For those years, Cthonia would not need heavy defenses. Vespasian and Nathaniel's presence there would be unnecessary.
Their arrival would strengthen his forces, and Nareth could "corrode" them, securing those he had already gained.
Lucius and Arkhan said in unison: "By Your will."
Nareth moved his mind. Black mist churned, returning them to realspace.
"Horus, Cthonia's output will feed my resources."
"Your sons of Cthonia will become Flawless Blades and Shadows of Order, and the future new Luna Wolves."
"Dorn, I've taken the Sons of Horus from you."
Nareth smiled. He gathered his thoughts, then returned to reality.
He strode to his office. As he sat down on his throne, the comm-bead in his right ear buzzed.
He pressed it. Asena's voice came through.
"My Lord, we have arrived at the Tanagra system."
"The augur arrays have conducted a full scan of the system. The results show thirty void-ships in orbit around the Forge World, Diamat."
"By identifying the thermal signatures of reactors and sensors, we have determined that capital ships and heavy transports are intermixed."
Nareth leaned back, smiling.
"Horus thought I was still bogged down in a long war with the Gordian League. He didn't expect me to arrive at Diamat so quickly."
"As You foresaw." Arsena said.
"The reactor signatures of the two larger void-ships match those of the heavy cruisers Leo and Fornax."
"Hunt Horus's fleet." Nareth ordered.
....
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