In orbit around the ocean world Naktis, Arkhas Fal strode from the Nicor's command deck onto a platform overlooking the layered decks.
Above him, servo-skulls, operated and maintained by Techmarines, cast green light.
He glanced at the circling servo-skulls, which were projecting his image onto every hololith and screen across the fleet.
Clad in his suit of premium black-gold alloy, he walked to the platform and gripped the railing firmly.
He looked down at his battle-brothers on the layered decks. Their armor was painted a dark grey.
On each right shoulder guard was the Chapter's emblem, a white, returning shark with fins.
He opened the vox amplifier. His voice was low.
"I imagine you have been confused lately. Our Primarch returned, yet we left alone."
"So of you know why. So have guessed. Now, I will tell you all the cruel truth."
"The Primarch has ordered us to leave Imperial space, to go to the Imperium's frontiers, to ceaselessly seek out and destroy humanity's enemies."
He paused, then emphasized, his voice heavier.
"Ceaselessly!"
"Not the exploration and reconnaissance of the 5th Legion. We are stalkers in the dark outer reaches."
He paused deliberately, giving the Astartes ti to think.
His voice echoed through the decks. The warriors in dark grey armor grew even paler.
Exile!
They were being exiled by their gene-father!
Confusion filled their eyes.
Why had their gene-father exiled them?
They had given everything for the Imperium.
...
The entire fleet fell silent. The crew, in the oppressive atmosphere, dared not speak.
The Navigators and Astropaths, in their mind's eye, saw only the churning Great Ocean.
Each shark licked its wounds.
They circled, raising terrible waves.
The "Ocean Songster" Arkhas, gripping the railing, activated his Spirit Vision and looked down.
Thick greyness perated the layered decks, shrouding each battle-brother like a heavy fog.
Those who had known or guessed showed dark red anxiety, and so blue of calm contemplation.
The giant clock on the do ticked.
As the second hand was about to complete one full cycle, Arkhas spoke again.
"We will obey the Primarch's command. But we will forget our gene-father, Lord Corvus Corax."
"I am the Great Rembrancer. We are the Forgotten. He has forgotten us. We will forget him."
The deck was silent. No one argued. They silently accepted the command.
Compared to the vague Primarch who had returned and imdiately exiled them, Arkhas Fal, who had led them in battle for over a century, was more real. His command was more acceptable to the forgotten.
Their gene-father had exiled them. They would forget him.
Seeing no objection, he raised his left arm and tapped his right shoulder guard three tis.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
"We are the Carcharodons!"
The Astartes in dark grey armor raised their right arms and tapped their shoulder guards in unison.
"We are the Carcharodons!"
The vox channels echoed with the Carcharodons' low, dull roars.
The crew breathed softly, then deeply. The breaking of the silence relieved their taut nerves.
After calming their anxiety, they realized they were embarking on a dark path.
The dark outer reaches, beyond the Lord of Humanity's Astronomican.
The dark outer reaches, filled with terrifying, unknown xenos.
The only solace was that the powerful Astartes, not they, would face these evil xenos.
The Navigators, their third eyes hidden by ornate jewels, and the Astropaths, clutching their ornate staves, felt the waves in the Sea of Souls surge, then gradually subside. They breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
The few remaining Imperial nobles had already made their choice.
They would obey the Emperor's command and follow Arkhas into the dark outer reaches.
Arkhas glanced at the strings of grey-white feedback runes on his helt display, confirming every company and squad had shouted the call. He ended this brief Chapter founding ceremony.
"Prepare to set sail!"
The Great Rembrancer, as always calm and firm. The Carcharodons imdiately moved to prepare, in silence.
He closed the Chapter's vox channel and ordered the Techmarines.
"Shut down the servo-skulls. End the hololithic projection."
"Close all doors to all decks."
The Techmarines' servo-arms projected beams of light. The servo-skulls glowed red.
They flashed through the air, rapidly moving away.
With a rumble, the doors to the various decks closed.
With a thought, he activated the thousands of tal plates connected to his neural cortex, forged from premium black-gold alloy based on Squat technology.
The micro-fiber bundles of his custom-forged suit, the hinged frawork, activated. The seasoned "Wind-Blessed" was surrounded by currents generated from thin air.
He rose, descended slowly, circling between the 20th and 21st decks of the 40 decks.
He looked around, examining the decks.
He opened his amplifier and spoke to his three thousand three hundred fifty trusted n.
"Lord Nareth has accepted us."
"From this day forward, we no longer swear fealty to the Emperor of Mankind. Not to Corax."
"The Carcharodons swear fealty only to Lord Nareth!"
Faith in the Black Emperor had not yet been promoted on a large scale even in Shadows of Order. Arkhas did not openly preach faith, only clarifying their allegiance.
The Carcharodons' black pupils dilated. They stared in shock at the Great Rembrancer.
A second later, the Honor Guard Captain on the first deck knelt on one knee.
"We follow Lord Fal! We swear fealty to the Monarch of Vostroya!"
The Honor Guard on the first deck knelt. The Carcharodons on the layered decks knelt like a dark grey tide, spreading layer by layer.
"We follow Lord Fal! We swear fealty to the Monarch of Vostroya!"
Arkhas looked around, confirming all his trusted n had sworn fealty. He spoke.
"Lord Nareth has granted wondrous power. Now, you have the sa opportunity."
"Those I previously selected for a mission, one thousand one hundred twenty-nine of you."
"Your mission is to follow Lord Nareth. He will choose the best among you to grant power."
He did not send all his trusted n. On one hand, the Black Emperor had said not too many.
On the other hand, most of his trusted n were commanders. He could not lose most of them simultaneously. A stalled command structure could not respond to the threats of the dark outer reaches.
Of those he selected, six hundred fifty-nine had gene-seed granted by the Black Emperor.
Among the rest were seven Company Captains, eighteen adjutants, and twenty-seven Honor Guard mbers.
The Honor Guard Captain's black eyes lit up. The majestic figure he had seen on the Forge World of Xana flashed through his mind.
The demigod in black armor, golden wings on his back, descending from the sky.
He swung his arm. Dazzling golden light fell. The Titan-sized Osseivore crashed down.
He swung his crystal greatsword. Blue-white light fell, knocking the crystal greatsword from the pale Cerabvore's hand.
....
Abandoned by Corax, they were now accepted by the powerful Lord Nareth.
Lord Nareth, who had led multiple Legions to crush the evil, powerful Rangdan xenos.
Dazzling light shone in the selected Carcharodons' eyes. Those not selected looked down silently.
Arkhas looked around and spoke, his voice low.
"Each of you will have the opportunity to follow Lord Nareth. That ti will co."
The eyes of the over two thousand Carcharodons dimd, then lit up. Filled with hope, they left through the open doors.
As the dark grey fleet, its sides painted with white returning sharks, set sail, a black transport carrying the one thousand one hundred twenty-nine Carcharodons, unarmored, flew towards the 9th Chapter's flagship, the relic-class vessel Wave.
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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