The Viziole extermination campaign lasted an entire solar year. It only concluded in 903, when the 74th Expeditionary Fleet, having sworn fealty to Kor, designated the planet 47-10 and began constructing the Perfect City in its capital, Monarchia, to worship the Emperor.
Within a 120,000-kilometer radius around Viziole, space was filled with burning metal wreckage, illuminating the planet.
The planet's surface was embedded with fungus-wrapped metal, permeated with foul pus.
The shrieks of the dead echoed through the system. The Fourth Chapter's "Gatekeepers" and "Spirit Guides," accompanied by "Spirit Mediums," were active across the planet, replenishing their lost spectral armies.
Aboard the Shadow's Sovereignty, Primarch's Office.
Arsena, holding a data slate, reported.
"My Lord, I have compiled the casualties for each Chapter. The six Chapters lost a total of twenty-four thousand fifty men."
"Most fell to the distorted effects after the Ramillies-class Starfort was destroyed."
Nareth nodded. Including the previous two thousand eight hundred forty casualties, Shadows of Order had lost a total of twenty-six thousand eight hundred ninety men.
Total losses were less than the Iron Warriors' approximately thirty thousand casualties at Gugann.
And the results were fundamentally different. Perturabo had only driven away the Hrud, leaving the Gugann system shattered and unusable.
Nareth had annihilated the largest Hrud population in the galaxy and gained Sak'trada Deeps for development.
'Hmm... though casualties were significant, they were lower than if we had repeatedly deployed the stasis device on each Hrud world.'
'After all, breaking through Hrud ships and deploying on the ground would have taken time, meaning casualties.'
'And this greatly shortened the campaign's duration, preventing Hrud from escaping.'
'More importantly, the stasis device could malfunction with repeated use and counteracting entropy fields.'
As he thought, the silver-haired Aide continued.
"The First Chapter suffered the heaviest losses: seven thousand four hundred ten. They opened the landing zone and held the main defensive lines."
"..."
"Twenty-eight thousand six hundred others suffered varying degrees of aging. One thousand nine hundred forty of them are too aged for high-intensity combat."
An image flashed through Nareth's mind: Barabas Dantioch, tasked with defending the system
He had not only lost it but had aged three thousand years, barely able to walk, even briefly earning Perturabo's pity.
"Transfer them from front-line duty to train neophytes."
"As You command." After noting this, Arsena continued.
"I believe You should be aware that, though the stasis field overwhelmed the Hrud's entropy fields, local regions, subjected to intense Hrud attacks, experienced brief distorted effects at various times."
"Techmarines, rushing to support, suffered the greatest losses in the Legion's history. Two hundred fifty-eight Techmarines died."
Nareth nodded slightly. "I understand."
"I will find a suitable recruiting world for them."
"I think the Forge Lord will be pleased to hear that." Seeing the Black Emperor was aware and would address it, Arsena breathed a sigh of relief. He continued.
"My Lord, how shall we proceed with exploring Sak'trada Deeps?"
"Viziole goes to the Fourth Chapter," Nareth instructed. "The six Chapters will disperse to explore."
"Focus on exploring every ancient ruin. Collect mycelium books. You will compile the information, searching for traces of Be'lakor."
"Summon the Forge Lord to me."
"By Your will." Arsena acknowledged, then withdrew to relay orders.
With a thought, Nareth went to the fourth layer of the Kingdom of Disorder. He picked up the recharged Dice of Prophecy. Information about the Mandragoran Stars flashed through his mind.
'Southeastern galaxy, the Segmentum Tempestus's frontier, within the Mandragoran Stars, near the region called the Veiled Zone.'
'The Mandragoran Stars originated with the Necrons' most powerful dynasty, the Sautekh.'
'The region is prone to stellar disasters. Many systems are old, their planets incapable of supporting life. Dense nebulae and turbulent space debris abound.'
'...'
The recruiting world he chose for his Techmarines was not simply a world rich in resources suitable for a Forge World, but Orpheus Prime, rich in technological relics.
It would become the homeworld of the Orphean Guard Chapter, an Ultramarines successor during the Second Founding.
The Orphean Guard were considered the most technologically advanced of the Ultramarines' successors, almost like Tech-Priests.
They also possessed the Orphean Key, which could function as a multi-purpose key and an auspex. Most uniquely, its cogitator engine could analyze unknown or malfunctioning technology and provide solutions for the user.
He believed the Orphean Guard's technology, and the special Orphean Key, likely originated from exploring Dark Age of Technology ruins.
In his memory, during the Great Crusade, the Ultramarines did not possess such technology. Their technological level was clearly lower than Legions like the Iron Hands and Iron Warriors.
Crucially, the Orphean Guard's technological level was unusually high compared to all other Ultramarines successors.
'Finding a suitable special world for Techmarines will also facilitate further development of the Paragon Pathway team.'
He reined in his thoughts.
'Guilliman, you haven't even finished exploring Ultramar. You won't mind me taking your sons' world as a Techmarine recruiting world, will you?'
'Besides, the Mandragoran Stars, which will be named the Orpheus Sector, were not discovered by you.'
He recalled that the Orpheus Sector was explored in the latter half of the Great Crusade by the Rogue Trader, Lady Arica Orpheus, who ventured deep into the Mandragoran Stars.
Her voyage was to chart a path for future Astartes and Auxilia fleets. She discovered a region with remnants of Dark Age human civilization and scattered xenos domains.
Thus, he had not divined Orpheus Prime directly. He was intercepting it in advance. This future sector would not be called that.
But the name Mandragoran Stars had existed for millennia.
After the information flashed through his mind, he silently intoned.
'Star chart from the Kalium Gate to the Mandragoran Stars.'
'...'
After intoning it eleven times, he tossed the dice.
The moment it landed in his open palm, a star chart unfolded before him.
He memorized it and encoded it on a data-crystal.
He then returned to reality and summoned Rosicky Czechk.
He slid the gleaming data-crystal to the Forge Lord and instructed.
"You are to immediately lead a fleet to the Segmentum Tempestus's frontier. Explore the human ruins in the Mandragoran Stars."
"Search for the special key relic mentioned in the data crystal among the Dark Age of Technology human civilizations and ruins. Establish an arsenal on the planet you find, and train Techmarines."
"There, you will find the most suitable world for Techmarines to grow."
Rosicky's eyes lit up. Techmarine casualties had been troubling him for some time.
Now, the Black Emperor was granting them a suitable world.
He took the datam crystal and said respectfully, "By Your will."
.....
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