[To: Knight Luther
It has been nearly one Terran standard month since our last communication. I hope everything is going well on your end. Here, everything is fine.
Forge World Xana has now completely become a central hub connecting the Eye of Terror to the galactic northeast. Every day, different expedition fleets cast huge shadows over the forges and factories here, as if this world never experiences daylight.
Of course, the weather on a Forge World is inherently terrible. I once traveled across Xana's surface; it's a landscape of reddish-bronze deserts and ruins. Vicious hurricanes relentlessly torment the ground.
Even the slightest breath fills one's mouth with the taste of oil fumes and exhaust gases, most of which are toxic. The air in the desert can poison a normal person to death in ten seconds.
Only within the factory-filled Hive Cities is there filtered [safe] air, but it still reeks of sulfur and soot.
However, industrial Hive Cities themselves are not particularly pleasant places. They are filled with gears, pipes, and cables. Many areas haven't been cleaned in a long time, and their smell is simply indescribable.
In the less important streets and sewers, there are countless skeletal remains. The Adeptus Mechanicus say those are the defeated parties in struggles and experiments, the [unfavored ones].
Beyond the industrial Hive Cities are endless deserts and abandoned city clusters. I once traveled along a main thoroughfare that traversed the entire world, but as far as the eye could see, there were only scattered spaceports, fusion reactors, and stellar energy collection fields.
Besides these were temples, hundreds of them, large and small, dedicated to the divine trinity of the Machine God, Omnissiah, and the Motive Force, as proclaimed by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Listening to the explanations of the devotees was occasionally a good pastime.
Other than that, this world has nothing worth lingering for. The Archbishops and priests dedicate all their energy to forging, excavating, and infighting. Their squabbles are cruder and more complex than any court intrigue I have ever witnessed.
Oh, right.
In Xana's main Hive City, I also encountered a very interesting fellow. You'd never guess his identity.
A Shadowmoon Wolf!
Specifically, a squad of Shadowmoon Wolves, an envoy from the Sixteenth Legion to the First Legion, briefly resting and resupplying on the Forge World.
Quite interesting, isn't it? Their resupply took several days.
The leader of this squad was a very interesting fellow named Serjanus, an exceptionally amiable diplomat in both speech and knowledge.
We chatted in the Hive City's spire. When the thick smoke from the factories dispersed, that was the only place where one could barely see the stars. He recounted the battle history of the Sixteenth Astartes Legion and their homeworld, Cthonia, a place even crueler, more wretched, yet more captivating than Xana.
My squad and his squad traversed Xana's deserts together for a few days. When he left, I gained a new pen pal. I believe I should share such joy with you.
However, before his departure, he also informed me that the war on the front lines was not going smoothly. The Rangdan Xenos seemed to have once again gathered their forces.
Four expedition fleets deployed at the very front of the line lost contact on the same day. At the same time, at the other end of the front, at least six star systems fell. The Rangdan battle moons reappeared, four of them this time.
The storage world, serving as a frontline supply hub, also fell within the next few days. You should know its fate better than I. Several critical nodes are also fiercely contested.
It is said that at least five thousand Dark Angels were encircled by the Rangdan, but the Imperial fleet broke through this encirclement... News of this kind has been ceaselessly circulating on Xana these past few days.
I must say, the Rangdan's vitality and combat power are indeed stronger and more stubborn than any Xenos we have encountered. The victory in the Sabis system was enough to destroy almost all opponents in this galaxy,
but now, nearly five or six Terran standard months have passed since that battle, and the Rangdan are still not defeated. They have even recovered and become more ferocious.
Fortifications and anti-air defenses are once again being built on Xana. This world seems to be turning into a frontline once more. The Archbishops and priests are quite displeased about this, and one often hears them openly voicing their complaints.
But none of that concerns me anymore, for I am about to set off for the front lines once more. Perhaps it won't be Xana, but somewhere else. Ahriman is currently receiving orders, and he will tell us the next step.
At the same time, here, I once again apologize on Ahriman's behalf. Knight Luther, please forgive his rudeness last time. You must understand, after all... he is a Thousand Sons Legionnaire.
In any case, war is once again upon me. In most circumstances, I don't particularly enjoy matters of war and bloodshed. However, I will not shy away. On the front lines, I won't be able to regularly correspond with you. I will contact you as much as possible and send you small gifts, such as a Rangdan psyker's skull. How about it? You can use it as a bowl.
Finally, I wish you always keep the heart of the forest.
Your friend,
Morgan.]
Luther held this letter, reading it over and over again.
Amidst his unending work, he rarely showed a relaxed smile.
Especially when his gaze drifted to the end of the letter, seeing Morgan's closing remark, "heart of the forest," his smile held a mix of reminiscence and pride. That phrase, "heart of the forest," was the Caliban native tongue he had previously taught Morgan. Clearly, Morgan not only learned it seriously but truly remembered it.
He read the letter once more, then slowly set it aside. Afterward, his gaze turned to another communication.
It was from Jonson.
Since the Sabis system, this was Jonson's first communication with him.
Luther knew the content of the communication because he had already read it once before. The old knight of Caliban didn't know if it was accidental or a terrible deliberate act, but Jonson's communication was a question, a question related to Morgan.
The gene-Primarch did not directly write his question. He merely sent a piece of information about Morgan. And their long days of fighting side-by-side made Luther easily discern Jonson's intention.
Luther was silent for a moment, then he picked up his pen and wrote his assessment of this mortal woman below Morgan's information.
——————
This person, safe.
——————
Morgan, from World 28-13 in the southeastern region of the Eye of Terror, is a member of the local ruling family.
The current governor of that world is named Semiramis. She internally refers to herself as Queen. It is said that she has a distant blood relationship with Morgan. Semiramis
practices secret police politics and court intrigue in her kingdom, known for her use of poison and extravagance. However, her rule is exceptionally stable, and she is unusually proactive in paying taxes to the Imperium, making her one of the most excellent Imperial Governors.
According to our investigation, Morgan is the daughter of the deceased first Imperial Governor of that world, Maximilian. Her bloodline family has always been known for a special training system:
they secretly hide their children, change their names and identities, and provide over a decade of education and combat training. Only children who pass all trials can gain royal status and appear in public view. It is said that Morgan is the most outstanding product of this system since its inception.
After her [debut], she quickly became Maximilian's right-hand man. This king, who typically used diplomatic threats as a means of profit, unusually launched large-scale military campaigns, continuously instigating wars of annexation with neighboring countries.
Before the Imperial fleet officially arrived, Maximilian had already unified most of the world and was the first to pledge allegiance to the Imperium, becoming the first Governor. At his inauguration, he coerced all other kings into submission.
However, Morgan joined the Thousand Sons Legion's expedition fleet after the inauguration ceremony. The specific reason is unknown. According to our investigation on that world, it is highly probable that it was due to unresolved long-standing conflicts between her and Maximilian, leading to her departure.
Maximilian was assassinated not long after. The world quickly descended into a civil war over power, but several of his most capable and influential brothers actually perished together in the subsequent fratricidal struggle. Especially the two most powerful dukes, who ultimately died in duels against each other.
Then, according to the inheritance laws stipulated by that world, Semiramis, the second to [debut] from the training, became the ruler of that world and inherited the title of Imperial Governor.
——————
Nemir's report was roughly as described above.
At the end of this report, he explained with some bitterness: because the so-called royal training thoroughly destroyed all information about each participant, and the participants also underwent complete memory erasure, they simply couldn't find more information about Morgan.
But Jonson no longer cared about these things.
He casually flipped through the documents, seemingly waiting for something.
A moment later, he got what he was waiting for.
It was Luther's reply.
Jonson glanced at it, and then the last shred of thought in his mind settled.
[Nemir.]
"My lord."
[Bring her to the Unbroken Truth.]
——————
Tens of thousands of miles away, at a distance too remote for even the most ethereal words to describe, an old man's eyelids twitched unnaturally.
Then, he stood up, opening his eyes with some unease, pondering something.
A moment later, he waved his hand, and invisible waves tore open the dimensions of worlds and star systems, creating a passage across countless stellar sectors, capable of transmitting sound.
Then, he waited quietly.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a somewhat blurred voice came from the other end of the passage.
[...Mak'ado... Is something the matter?]
"My Lord."
Despite being separated by thousands of stars, the Emperor's Keeper of the Seals still bowed respectfully.
"Forgive my interruption, but how far has your expedition progressed?"
[...(Muffled sounds)... I am commanding my fleet to proceed to Chogoris. Fleets and worlds in that vicinity are singing tales of an incredible Khan. I think... I have found another son.]
"That is indeed good news."
Mak'ado nodded.
[Yes... good news... Afterwards, I plan to take Horus and Jonson to Moros. It's better that it remains in my hands... otherwise, I wouldn't feel at ease.]
[So... is something the matter... Mak'ado.]
"There is indeed something, My Lord."
The Keeper of the Seals bit his already shriveled lips, pondering how to explain.
"I just performed a prognostication. You know, like before, but this time, the prognostication was successful."
"I saw a Primarch."
[A Primarch... My... Which son?]
"It's your daughter."
The other end of the passage seemed to fall silent for a moment.
[You said... that failure?]
"Yes, Morgan. It's about her."
[Has she awakened?]
"In fact, she may have been walking the world for some time. Of course, this is my personal speculation and cannot be taken as a basis for reality."
[Then... it doesn't matter.]
[As long as I wish... I can watch her.]
[So, what else did you see?]
The Keeper of the Seals sighed softly.
"I saw the chessboard, My Lord, the chessboard upon which you and I have played countless rounds. The pieces are gradually returning to the board from every corner of the galaxy. The grand curtain is slowly being drawn."
"But just as we were clashing, pulling, and scheming to the very end, a hand suddenly reached into this chess game. I cannot be sure whether it was a hand that suddenly reached in, or if one of the pieces on the board finally gained its own will."
"But there's no doubt, it disrupted everything."
[...]
The Emperor was silent for a while before speaking again.
[So... you worry... it might be Morgan...]
"Because the chess pieces in our hands only appear to have some problems, but they are still harmless."
The Keeper of the Seals lowered his head, continuing his soft sigh.
"Although we are making choices, choices are always an exceptionally difficult thing. Not to mention, as things stand, there might be another unstable factor. I saw silver hair near that hand, and my instinct tells me she knows some things."
"She is not ignorant."
The Keeper of the Seals felt a concern for his own thoughts, but he only heard laughter from the other end of the passage.
[...She... naturally knows.]
"...My Lord?"
[No need to worry... Mak'ado... She knows...]
[This, I allow.]
[Every scene she has witnessed, I have allowed.]
🚨 Note : Consider to Support this Story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access +300 advance Chapters & 2 Chapters Daily and To Support The Daily Update