V3 Chapter 58: The Astral Claws, Intelligence on Huron, Tyrant of Badab
To Duvette, the crusade toward Terra that followed hardly counted as demanding at all.
This, too, was as expected. It was only 768.M41; the Great Rift had not yet opened, and while the western corridor of the Ultima Segmentum could hardly be called safe, it rarely produced an enemy capable of standing in the way of this crusade's main strength.
The massive naval fleet, built around five battleships at its core, advanced steadily onward. Ork fleets, xenos raiders, and traitor squadrons rarely lasted long before them; more often than not, a single standard bombardment was enough to shatter the enemy's defence.
The ground fighting was much the same.
Most worlds required nothing more than Duvette committing part of the Astra Militarum combat groups and the Ultramar Auxilia. The Astartes Chapters mostly handled reconnaissance, decapitation strikes, and deterrence, while the Titan Legion remained aboard the fleet, held in standby throughout.
After Vulcantia and Cereris, these engagements genuinely felt far lighter by comparison.
But Guilliman found little in it to be glad about.
Since his awakening at Macragge, he had already heard countless reports on the Imperium's current state from Calgar, Cawl, Tigurius, Duvette, and others. Those accounts were filled with corruption, chaos, incompetence, and despair, and he had believed himself prepared for it.
But it was only when he actually passed through these worlds himself, seeing with his own eyes the cities, mine-pits, hive worlds, and agricultural zones the crusade encountered along its route, that he truly understood how far the Imperium of Man had rotted.
Many rebellions could have been avoided entirely.
Some worlds had only just fought off Ork invasions, their city walls still smoking, only to have a century of overdue Imperial tithe demands arrive at the governor's estate. Other worlds remained mid-reconstruction, their mines collapsed, farmland fallow, populations diminished, resources exhausted, yet the Administratum still demanded tribute paid at the old standard.
Or rather, getting the Administratum to revise a world's tithe standard could take centuries, by which time the world in question would very likely have perished entirely.
It was not that the nobility failed to understand that continued extortion would trigger rebellion.
But they feared the Imperial reckoning that would follow a failure to meet the tithe even more. So the pressure was passed down, layer after layer, until it finally landed on those who could not even scrape together tomorrow's rations.
"The Maelstrom."
"Yes." Duvette cleared his throat. "According to current intelligence, the Maelstrom defence zone is held on a long-term basis primarily by three Chapters: the Astral Claws, the Lamenters, and the Mantis Warriors. They are known as the Wardens of the Maelstrom."
Duvette paused for a moment.
"The Charnel Guard were once part of the Wardens as well, but as far back as 651.M41 the High Lords of Terra reassigned them to the Veiled Region for the Thanatos crusade. Now the burden of holding the Maelstrom line falls chiefly on the remaining Chapters."
Guilliman looked down at the data-slate.
"Continue."
"The situation at the Maelstrom is extremely complicated."
"Complicated?"
Guilliman's eyes scanned the report at tremendous speed.
"Yes." Duvette found a chair and sat down, quite naturally.
In the entire crusade fleet, he was very likely the only mortal officer who would dare sit down like this while briefing a Primarch in his own quarters.
"For one thing, according to reports relayed back by the reconnaissance fleet, control of the northern Maelstrom zone has broken down entirely. Since the old Segnax defence zone fell, the area has become a haven for pirates, xenos strongholds, and traitor enclaves."
Duvette raised a hand and tapped the data-slate, projecting a star chart.
"Right now, a large-scale uprising is underway there. A great mass of pirates, xenos raiders, Ork fleets, and traitor squadrons are pressing against both the Badab defence zone and the Sagan defence zone."
Guilliman watched the red markers flickering ceaselessly across the star chart, his brow furrowing slightly.
"The other matter concerns the Astral Claws."
Duvette continued. "Their Chapter Master, Lufgt Huron, suppressed a coup on Badab after 718.M41, and took control of Badab and the surrounding region. Much of the related record refers to him as the Tyrant of Badab, though today, of course, he serves as Chapter Master of the Astral Claws and the central commander among the Wardens of the Maelstrom."
Guilliman did not interrupt him.
"Starting in 748.M41, twenty years ago now, the Astral Claws began refusing to continue submitting their gene-seed tithe," Duvette said. "Based on a cross-reference of Mechanicus collection records, the Badab sector's accounts, the Astral Claws' replenishment data, and the crusade's own intelligence division, this has continued right up to the present."
He looked at Guilliman.
"This behaviour is highly suspicious. I recommend it be watched closely."
The room fell quiet.
Guilliman finished reading through the entire report quickly, cross-referencing it in his mind as he went.
The Astral Claws' consolidation, development, and military administration of the Badab defence zone could genuinely be called commendable. With so many enemies surrounding the Maelstrom, without a strong Warden system, the Imperium's defence line in that region would very likely have collapsed long ago.
But refusing to continue submitting gene-seed was no small matter.
It touched on Chapter size, gene-seed oversight, Mechanicus jurisdiction, and the fundamental limits set by the Codex Astartes. If the issue continued to grow, it could genuinely point toward conspiracy and rebellion, or worse.
Guilliman set down the data-slate.
"Until this is confirmed, do not treat them as traitors."
Duvette nodded.
"Of course. I agree. We shouldn't provoke unnecessary conflict."
"But from now on, don't treat them as an ordinary Warden Chapter either," Guilliman said. "Once the fleet reaches the Maelstrom, I will go to Badab myself."
Duvette nodded at that.
Having Guilliman appear in person should be enough to keep Huron in line.
Then again, Huron's conduct did bear a certain resemblance to Guilliman's own. Both valued their territory, both were skilled at development and governance, and both liked taking chaotic regions and organising them into functioning systems.
The Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar.
Badab.
The more Duvette thought about it, the stranger it felt.
The Astral Claws' parent Chapter remained unknown to this day, but judging by their governance, defence integration, and resource allocation, Duvette sometimes genuinely felt they resembled some wayward offspring of Guilliman's own line.
If the Astral Claws truly were descendants of the Ultramarines line, then Huron was probably the single most troublesome offspring in Guilliman's entire genetic lineage.
At the thought, an odd smile crept across Duvette's face.
Guilliman looked at the Marshal-Commissar before him, who had suddenly fallen into thought and was now smiling in a rather unsettling way, and gave a light cough.
Duvette snapped back to attention at once.
"Apologies, my lord."
"What were you just thinking about?"
"A very ill-timed thought." Duvette answered quickly. "I think it's best I don't say it aloud."
Guilliman looked at him for a few seconds.
"Then don't."
Duvette shrugged, stood, and saluted once more.
"That's all I have for now. For further intelligence on the Maelstrom, I'd recommend keeping the reconnaissance fleet supplementing it. As for Badab, I'd also suggest having the crusade's intelligence division prepare an audit inventory ahead of time."
"I know perfectly well what to do. Go."
"Understood."
Duvette turned and left the room.
Once the hatch closed again, Guilliman looked toward the direction he had gone, silent for a moment.
Then he let out a quiet sigh.
This mortal officer knew far too much, and kept far too much hidden.
What made it worse was that, most of the time, he was right.