In the final month of 820, the XI Legion finished cleansing the second planet.
The VI Legion had also completed its purge of the fifth planet, though Leman Russ's campaign against the sixth, begun later that year, was still ongoing.
Ti moved on, and as the new year arrived, Nareth was preparing to launch a fresh offensive when he received an astropathic transmission from the Emperor.
821.M30, The Primarch of the II Legion, Hannibal, had returned to the Imperium.
The Emperor's orders were clear: once Hannibal's welco ceremony on Terra concluded, he was to be placed under Nareth's tutelage.
Hearing Arsena's report, Nareth thought to himself:
'The Emperor had once entrusted the II Legion to my command. For to guide Hannibal now is only natural. But Hannibal… will he prove to be the silent lamb? Or a warlord in the mold of Carthage's Hannibal Barca?'
Recalling the odd states of Suárez and Erlang, he mused further:
'Perhaps both.'
As Nareth pondered, his silver-haired aide spoke again.
"My lord, the Forge Lord has arrived."
"Let him in."
Monts later, Rosicky entered the Primarch's office.
"Father."
After saluting, the Forge Lord began his briefing.
"Myself and Adams have excavated a Dark Age of Technology site, from which we obtained a vast number of data-crystals. So far, I and the techmarines have decrypted 1,390 of them.'
"The most crucial discovery: we now possess the knowledge to build, operate, and maintain teleportation gates once used by the Araneus Continuity."
At this, Nareth's interest sharpened imdiately.
The XI Legion was still expanding, its holdings ever wider and scattered across the galaxy. Though the sixty-three conquered systems around Vostroya ford a coherent cluster, others, like Cypra Mundi and Mordian, remained isolated keystones.
There were also six systems near Necromunda at the galactic core, Tanith in the western at the Segntum Pacificus, Catachan in the Ultima Segntum soon to be claid, and Posul as a future objective.
In such a patchwork realm, a network of teleportation gates would be invaluable.
Moreover, Araneus technology, capable of functioning even during the Old Night's warp storms, could prove decisive in ages to co, such as during the Horus Heresy.
"How does their gate-technology compare to warp travel?" Nareth asked.
Rosicky produced a bright-blue crystal and slotted it into the office hololith.
"Araneus teleportation and Imperial warp translation are both faster-than-light thods, but they rely on utterly different principles."
A point of light flickered above the projector.
"In humanity's distant past, it was believed no matter could surpass light. But physicists soon discovered particles that always did: tachyons."
"A curious property of tachyons is that they travel backward through ti. Araneus technology is founded on the study and manipulation of these particles."
Nareth frowned slightly, such manipulation, he knew, demanded imnse energy.
Rosicky's chadendrites extended to tap at the console, altering the display into comparative data sets.
"Once we mastered gate activation, I ordered trials: ships of equal class departed Necromunda for five neighboring systems, so via warp, so via gate, twenty-five journeys in total."
"Nineteen have concluded so far. On average, gates are about a week faster."
Nareth nodded, already a statistically sound conclusion.
"But construction requires vast resources, and each jump consus enormous energy, hence the Continuity always built their gates near stars. And unlike warp travel, gates are fixed-point; one gate leads only to its designated partner. Warp allows mid-voyage redirection, albeit at great risk."
Nareth was unsurprised.
Warp translation was still the more flexible and resource-efficient tool for Imperial expansion. Teleportation would never replace it entirely, else the Emperor would never have needed His "Webway Project."
But as a unique network for the XI Legion, the gates were priceless.
"Your work is of great rit, a major discovery," Nareth said.
At those words, Rosicky felt sothing within him flare like a starburst. His soul grew livelier. He knew at once: he had ascended, becoming a true Archaeologist.
"Starmap."
At a signal from the aide, the hololith switched to a galactic map.
"Gates are too costly for mass deploynt, but critical nodes warrant them."
"Vostroya. Mordian. Cypra Mundi. Triken. Vigilus. Necromunda. Tanith. Build the first seven there."
He pushed a data slate across the desk.
"The Arbites discovered a Fortress-class void-shield template at Vigilus. The slate holds the backup."
"While constructing the gates, install these fortress shields over major hive-cities, with techmarines assigned for maintenance."
Rosicky bowed. "By you will."
He continued:
"Beyond the crystals, Adams and I also recovered Disintegration Weapon weapons and Archaeotech pistols. Research is underway."
"Progress on the pistols: we can now produce searing beams powered by a planet's radiation belt."
Nareth already knew fragnts of this from Adams, but Rosicky's detail was welco.
"Produce prototypes. Let mid-tier commanders choose to test them."
"Now, what have the factions offered for the Attack Moon?"
Rosicky's encyclopedic mind recalled instantly, and he began listing.
"Mars's Fabricator-General offers you a Gloriana-class battleship, and will commit a Titan of the Legio Atarus to campaign alongside us."
"That's all?" Nareth asked dryly. The offer was far less than he'd expected.
"Mars is factionalized. So dispute the very study of xenos tactics. Others claim, under the Treaty of Olympus, all such technology belongs solely to the chanicum. They say you should hand the Attack Moon over entirely."
Nareth's lip curled. The oil-priests never lacked arrogance. He knew their schisms well, by the Heresy, they'd even turn civil war.
A Gloriana Class? Hardly tempting. A Despoiler-class, perhaps.
"zoa Forge World offers alliance and supply lines."
"Graia offers the sa, plus the Legio Astraman to fight with us."
Of all the bids, Graia's intrigued him most.
The so-called Crown of Miracles, Graia's vast factory-complex, the "Graian Crown" could move under its own power.
With colossal fusion drives, it could lift free of its planet, reach a Manderville point, and sail the warp.
'That could prove decisive in prolonged campaigns where supply is scarce. The XI Legion would gain both a southern galactic ally and a mobile supply base.'
He was satisfied, but pressed further:
"What of the Explorator Magi?"
"They only began large-scale expeditions after the Treaty of Olympus secured them Navigators and Astropaths. They promise to share future discoveries, but as yet, none are significant."
"And the Magos, Lian Ramilles? Has he found a Standard Template Construct?"
"No," Rosicky replied.
'So Ramilles had not yet uncovered the fad STC for a Starfort, nad after him in honor.' Nareth made his decision.
"Graia's offer pleases most, but I have an additional demand. I want shared access to their research results. I will send five techmarines to collaborate with them."
Rosicky instantly grasped the plan. Just as with the Fra'al battlecruiser, his gene-son would pursue joint developnt.
"I will deliver your terms to Graia's Fabricator."
Nareth, through subtle questioning and reading his aura, confird Rosicky had successfully digested the Archaeologist potion.
He dismissed him to send the ssage, then returned to the Nation of Disorder to brew the Appraiser potion, using the cybernetic eye of the Iron Lord recovered on Necromunda.
Thus, Rosicky advanced to Sequence Seven.
The next day, Nareth received word: the Jokaeros had finished refitting the escort frigat
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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