"Hm. That simulation actually had Hruds in it."
The simulation closed completely. Nolan opened his eyes and brought his attention to the simulator's summary page, reading through it with a slight narrowing of his gaze.
He shook his head once and muttered to himself: "Well. That's a new way to die."
He turned to the reward selections.
The Staff of the Covenant went without much deliberation. It was a high-level Necron weapon, and in another context he might have found it useful, but it could not compare to the Warscythe, which he had spent real time developing proficiency with. He also still had the Dawnbringer Warhammer waiting for him to grow into. Adding another weapon to that pile was not the priority.
The entropy blade was a rarer item: a genuine alien time weapon, recovered at personal cost from the chieftain itself. Unfortunately, entropy energy was biologically native to the Hrud. No human body could channel it, and no known engineering process could replicate the effect. It would make a singular collectible, but nothing more practical than that.
The Sword-class frigate he sat with longer, reading the annotation text through twice. Then he closed the simulator page and made the decision: the frigate would stay in the home world. The Carcharodons' void fleet was not lacking in ships, and the Marvel universe's local defenses could use the additional hull. Space defense capability was more useful there than adding one more vessel to an already capable fleet.
Knock knock knock.
Nolan rose from the metal throne, Starfire Glory's systems coming online around him. The Mind Gem he had been turning over between his fingers went back into the storage compartment behind his waist.
He stepped out of the ancient hall and walked toward the bridge.
Shortly after, at his direction, Tyberos's Techmarines and a contingent of Lamenters who had been stationed with the void fleet began a systematic sweep of the lower decks, starting with the Nicor and working outward through the full fleet. Nearly a hundred ships of all sizes became part of the search area.
The reason was simple: Nolan had not forgotten the Hruds' habit of stowing in the deck gaps of Imperial vessels and traveling undetected for long periods. The simulation had made that particular fact vivid.
A month passed.
No Hruds were found. What the sweep did find were ship-boring xenos of various kinds, including several colonies of Senophia parasites in the lower hulls, which were destroyed. The lower decks were noticeably cleaner afterward, and the mortal servants and crew members who lived and worked there noticed the difference.
Nolan reached an agreement with Tyberos on the back of this. In the intervals between active campaigns, the Carcharodons would make a regular practice of sending newly enhanced and trained recruits through the fleet on clearance sweeps. It served two purposes simultaneously: it improved the daily living conditions of the mortal crew, which built goodwill toward the chapter, and it put the recruits into live-environment xenos contacts that sharpened their combat reflexes before they saw their first real engagement. Both sides gained something.
The ancient hall of the Nicor.
Nolan sat on the metal throne with the Ten Rings orbiting slowly above his vibranium palm. On the simulator's interface, the mission board had refreshed with new entries. He was reading through the options carefully, considering which one merited the next run.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Heavy steps in the corridor outside. Nolan's attention moved toward them before the figure appeared.
Kahurangi, Chief Lexicanium of the Carcharodons, came through the entrance, his pale face composed and expressionless in the way that was particular to him.
Nolan closed the simulator page without drawing attention to it.
"Kahurangi. What brings you here? I thought you were occupied with your new apprentices."
"Primarch. I have something to report." Kahurangi stepped forward. "Approximately one void hour ago, the Astropaths aboard the flagship received a distress signal from deep within the Ghoul Stars. The content of the psychic message is unclear due to interference, but it is confirmed to be a request for assistance from an Astartes expeditionary force. I require your advice and orders."
"A distress signal." Nolan shifted slightly in the armor. "Why not take it directly to Tyberos? You know I don't interfere with the chapter's independent decisions. Just tell me who needs killing."
The Chief Lexicanium's dark, emotionless eyes widened very slightly. The interlocking teeth, sharp as a shark's, showed briefly as he spoke.
"Chapter Master Tyberos has departed the fleet aboard a frigate. He is conducting the grey tithe arrangement with the Mechanicus, as is his custom. The material support you have provided has been considerable, Primarch, but that particular tradition is one he maintains regardless." A pause. "In his absence, you are the highest authority present in the fleet. That is why I am here."
"Tsk. Is that how it is."
Nolan was quiet for a moment. Then he pushed the power armor upright from the throne.
"If our people have sent a distress signal, we go and see what the situation is. Kahurangi, get one company of Carcharodons ready for deployment. Notify all Lamenters currently distributed across the fleet to return to the Nicor and assemble."
"Yes, Primarch."
Kahurangi placed one hand against his breastplate and inclined his head. Then he turned and drove his power armor out of the hall.
Nolan recalled the Ten Rings and followed.
On the Nicor's lower deck, a company of Carcharodons Astartes and the Lamenters in Terminator plate completed their muster in short order. Nolan arrived with Kahurangi, the Warscythe at his back and the Dawnbringer Warhammer slung at his side, and the assembly moved without ceremony toward the Thunderhawk transports.
Their destination was the Tyrant-class cruiser White Mouth, anchored elsewhere in the fleet.
This was a search and assist mission. It did not warrant mobilizing the full void fleet. And if Tyberos returned from his grey tithe to find his entire fleet gone, that would be a story told across the chapter for a generation.