Magnus's single eye gleamed gold. "Nareth, Sanguinius, Jaghatai, my brothers."
"Until now, when a Librarian fell, he could not, like other worthy warriors, continue to serve the Legion. This has been a great loss."
"I have, through research, finally overcome this obstacle."
As he spoke, he raised his right arm, a gleaming light projecting from his palm.
A shimmering crown appeared, slowly rotating. Its surface was covered in layered runes.
"This psychic-dampening crown encases the wearer's brain, constructing a robust defense."
"I call it the Osiron."
"It allows the operator to perfectly utilize any psychic ability they possess..."
"Sorcerer's Fool Cap," Russ interrupted mockingly.
Mortarion, behind his breathing mask, stared with gloomy eyes at the foul-smelling crown.
The pale head of Necare, his most precious trophy, slowly surfaced in his mind.
"It should be called the Crown of Enslavement. Guilty warlocks, in death, find no peace; they are imprisoned within it like restless wraiths."
A voice like grinding rock spoke. Rogal Dorn asked bluntly, "Magnus, can you guarantee its stability?"
"Of course. It has been verified." Magnus's eye shifted from gold to blue, suppressing his frustration, then to silver.
"I am willing to share the Osiron design schematics with all of you." He knew that if he offered them only to certain Legions, they would suspect ulterior motives.
Magnus's eye shifted, but his generous offer met with silence.
Sanguinius avoided his gaze, seeming to have forgotten his urgent request, after the Defence of Helioret, for a way to inter Librarians in Dreadnoughts.
'He is now Horus's advisor. Accepting it would show the Warmaster supports the use of psychic powers.'
'It would draw strong opposition from Mortarion, Angron, and Russ.'
Magnus understood Sanguinius's predicament.
"I trust you. I am happy to accept this gift."
Magnus's eye shifted to gold, looking at Nareth.
"Yesugei will be pleased with this gift. The Stormseers should not be forgotten," Jaghatai added.
"I also need it."
Vulkan's words drew the attention of the other Primarchs. He explained to his puzzled brothers.
"Since the Emperor entrusted me with the reissue of the Saturnine-Pattern Terminator Armor to all Legions, I have been working on it."
"I have developed a prototype, and it has been fielded in limited numbers by my Legion and the Shadows of Order."
He looked at Nareth. "Nareth, I believe you know from Rosicky that all other issues have been resolved. Only one key problem remains, preventing it from becoming a standard-issue pattern."
"That is the Saturnine-Pattern's Phobian technology, which differs greatly from Martian technology. Its unique interface systems can only be manufactured and installed in the Phobian region."
"I have been working to overcome this limitation. Recently, I discovered that its interface systems are remarkably similar to several psychic control devices discovered during the Great Crusade."
Vulkan looked at Magnus. "So, I now need your help."
"You and your sons are masters of psychic arts. You can help me find a way to mass-produce the Phobian device."
Nareth immediately recognized this as an opportunity.
Vulkan's words echoed his own struggle with the same limitation.
Though Rosicky Cech and the "Artisans" had created substitutes for the Phobian device, each one had to be painstakingly crafted by an "Artisan" and could only be used by those with powerful mental fortitude. This limited the deployment of the Saturnine-Pattern Terminator and Saturnine-Pattern Dreadnought.
Nareth's mind raced, recalling a memory.
He remembered Vulkan sending the Pyre Guard to the Segmentum Ultima, in the Kharfast Anchorage on the edge of the Maelstrom, in 002.M31, to work with the Thousand Sons' psychic artisans on the final development of the Saturnine-Pattern Terminator.
The Kharfast Anchorage was a unique region within the Maelstrom, the most remote part of the Tyrant's Crown. It was a stable world, a reality-anchored island in the Warp, unaffected by aetheric turbulence.
Unknown xenos, millennia ago, had built a mysterious network of structures on the planet's surface, shielding it from Warp incursion.
When the galaxy-wide Warp storms and Lorgar's Ruinstorm in Ultramar raged during the Heresy, wreaking havoc across the Maelstrom and destroying all surrounding systems, Kharfast remained intact.
The White Scars and Thousand Sons had established a joint research outpost on the system's edge, to analyze the Maelstrom's energy flows and serve as a repository and research site for psychic artifacts.
Nareth knew this outpost was the third-largest repository of psychic artifacts, after Prospero and Hathor Maat's Axandria IV.
It was also the Thousand Sons' third most valuable psychic research base.
After the Edict of Nikaea, the outpost continued to operate, becoming a haven for psykers and psychic artisans who had no place left in the Imperium.
Officially, they were not studying the Librarius program, but in reality, the Thousand Sons and White Scars Librarians continued their psychic research there.
Simultaneously, the final development of the Saturnine-pattern Terminator was underway.
'I must join this project. Kharfast Anchorage is a treasure trove. Saturnine-pattern Terminator manufacturing technology. Xenos architecture that shields against Warp incursion. The Maelstrom's energy flow data. Psychic artifacts.'
'Even the Thousand Sons and psykers, and the White Scars and Salamanders researchers, who will have nowhere to go after the Heresy. Though Kharfast survives, it will be isolated from the outside world.'
Suppressing his hunger for this treasure, Nareth addressed Vulkan and Magnus.
"Rosicky has been involved in the Saturnine-pattern's development. My Legion has field-tested the prototype in combat. I have also discovered several similar devices during my campaigns. My Librarians have studied them."
"I will send them to join the research."
Vulkan's eyes blazed with fire. "Excellent! With your help, the Saturnine-pattern Terminator will be completed."
Magnus's eye shifted, looking at Jaghatai.
"I have a suitable research base."
Seeing Jaghatai nod in agreement, he continued. "I will send you the coordinates."
Nareth's obsidian eyes gleamed, already seeing the radiant light of the Kharfast Anchorage.
After ending his psychic projection and returning to the Shadow's Sovereignty, he walked to his office, smiling, and stepped into the Kingdom of Disorder.
He extended his spirituality, touching the glowing orbs of Rosicky Cezch and the technomancer Miguel Questa, drawing them into the Kingdom of Disorder.
"My Lord."
As they bowed, Nareth gave his orders.
"You will depart immediately for the Kalium Gate, and then to Kharfast Anchorage in the Maelstrom, to join the final development of the Saturnine-pattern Terminator."
"By Your will."
After returning them to the real world, Nareth extended his spirituality again, issuing three more commands.
Santiago Borgkamp, Chapter Master of the Fifth, would send "Travelers" to the research station to observe, record, and analyze the Maelstrom.
Pell Koscielny, Chapter Master of the Eleventh, would dispatch "Barons of Corruption" to act as guards, and, in reality, to "corrode."
Pat, High Chaplain, would send "Dreamwalker" Chaplains to subtly alter the researchers' subconscious.
The planet, the research station, the architecture, the technology, the artifacts, the personnel, the data, he wanted it all.
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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