931.M30.
Aboard the Shadow's Sovereignty, Primarch's Office.
Nareth leaned back on his throne. Arsena Dunn, holding a data-slate, bowed and reported.
"My Lord, we have annihilated the xenos in the Lupus sub-sector, encompassing fifteen systems and thirty-eight worlds."
"The War Council is pleased with Your achievents in exterminating the Qah. The Sigillite's propaganda machine is praising Your title, 'Conqueror of Xenos,' across Imperial worlds."
"The World Eaters' victory on Alphasalish is rarely ntioned. Angron's rage reduced the planet to ruins."
As in his mory, the Imperium had dispatched the 203rd Expeditionary Fleet to purge the doppelgangers, which fed on humans.
Comparing the sequence levels of the two potion materials, he thought.
'Doppelgangers are the main ingredient for Sequence 6 "Faceless" on the Fool Pathway. The Qah are the main ingredient for Sequence 5 "Dream Stealer" on the Error Pathway.
'Not required for my Black Emperor Pathway's evolution, the Qah are clearly more dangerous than doppelgangers.'
'At the very least, doppelgangers, even after consuming Custodian blood, are not as tough as the Qah with their innate fla shields.'
As he thought, Arsena continued. His voice shifted from impassioned praise of the Legion's victory to a lower tone.
"To achieve this great victory, the Legion also paid a considerable price."
"I have compiled the casualties of the First, Third, and Tenth Chapters. In the war against the Qah, five thousand one hundred forty Shadows of Order fell."
"Of these, the majority were neophytes of the Tenth Chapter: three thousand eighty."
Nareth nodded slightly. Besides Shadows of Order, two hundred seventy Carcharodons had also fallen.
Like Perturabo, he could accept the casualties from fighting the Qah.
'The Iron Warriors fought three campaigns to exterminate the Qah.'
'Though I don't know the casualties of the first two campaigns, in the third, the 33rd Grand Company suffered 78% casualties.'
'Conservatively, total casualties would exceed ten thousand.'
Iron Warriors Grand Companies typically numbered a thousand, but the organization was not as rigid as the Ultramarines'.
They allowed for higher-than-normal personnel and attrition, especially among new recruits in their initial service.
Grand Companies in war zones continuously recruited and reinforced. Those with heavy losses were simply folded into other active units.
This caused significant fluctuations in each Grand Company's strength. So might have only five hundred after a brutal campaign, while others might have four thousand.
During the Great Crusade, the Imperium's attitude towards xenos was to tolerate those posing little threat and annihilate powerful ones.
Wars that ended in the declared annihilation of powerful xenos often followed a pattern:
Initial contact involved smaller campaigns but higher casualty rates, as in the First Rangdan War at Advex-Mors.
The second phase involved larger campaigns with decisive battles and the highest casualties, best exemplified by the Second Rangdan War and the Decisive Battle of Taxal .
The third phase, the final annihilation, had lower casualties than the second, as in the Rangdan Xenocide.
Assuming average Grand Company strength during the war, the third war against the Qah would have cost at least two thousand lives.
He therefore inferred the Iron Warriors lost over ten thousand in the Qah war.
Though declared extinct, xenos races like the Rangdan and doppelgangers still had remnants.
The Qah were truly 'exterminated.' Apart from those in the Kingdom of Disorder's second layer, they never appeared again, at least in his mory.
After three seconds of thought, he spoke.
"Report to the War Council: fourteen thousand nine hundred casualties."
Unlike the Hrud, the Imperium had so contact with the Qah. He couldn't inflate casualties tenfold. He settled on a sowhat reasonable figure, less than three tis the actual.
"As You command."
After Arsena withdrew, Nareth looked at the Dionysian Spear on the weapon rack, flanked by the heavy chainswords, the Krakenmaw and Helwinter. He thought silently.
'Besides the Dionysian Spear, Russ's other two weapons are just gathering dust here.'
'When Szczesny advances to Sequence 4, I'll give him the Krakenmaw.'
As he thought, he heard layered prayers. He rose and walked to his bedroom.
After activating the "Euclidian Runes," he stepped into the Kingdom of Disorder.
He sat on his throne and extended his spiritual energy, touching the expanding and contracting blood-red orb.
He saw Gahlan Surlak, Chief Apothecary of the World Eaters, kneeling at a candlelit altar.
Dozens of unconscious bodies were stacked around him: so Astartes, so human.
With a thought, he pulled Gahlan and the bodies into the realm.
"My Lord," Gahlan, wrapped in a black robe, knelt in the black mist. "After Father stole a frigate and left the Legion alone, we searched for two years. Captain Kharn found him on a feral world and convinced him to return."
"After Angron returned to the Legion, as You said, he imdiately ordered to develop a version of the Butcher's Nails for the World Eaters."
"At that ti, Alphasalish was invaded by doppelgangers. Part of the Legion was sent to that world to put down the rebellion."
He glanced at the stacked bodies, radiating psychic luster.
"Using the need for research, I had them use the Nucerian anesthetic to capture xenos for study."
"I received one thousand three hundred sixty specins. I want to keep two hundred fifty-six as cover. The rest I offer to You."
"Good." Nareth nodded.
'Gahlan is quite proactive, knowing to offer to .'
'This is the World Eaters working for , and I enjoy the spoils.'
After a mont's thought, he recalled where Gahlan had made his breakthrough.
"You will find inspiration on 93-15, a world later nad Ghenna."
"The Ghennans' bio-chanical technology will help you complete the Nails."
Hearing the Black Emperor's indifferent tone, as if speaking offhand, he marveled at his Lord's power.
He looked with awe at the vague, majestic figure wreathed in black mist.
"Praise be to my Lord. Thank You for Your guidance."
Recalling the Black Emperor's task, he said, "I will certainly follow Your command and develop the Butcher's Nails You require."
Nareth examined the prostrate "Potions Professor" Gahlan. His seamless spirit was like a perfect blood-red ruby.
"You have already mastered the power I granted you."
"I will grant you new power. Find a world bathed in full moonlight and pray to ."
"By Your will."
After Gahlan acknowledged, he sent him back to the lower decks of the Conqueror.
He stepped to the third layer and picked up the cooled Dice of Prophecy.
Information about Vessor flashed through his mind.
'Feral world Vessor, located in the Antimar Subsector, Segntum Obscurus.'
'The Vessorines are a fierce, tough warrior culture.'
'Vessorines are innate top-tier rcenaries, valuing material wealth above all else. They spend their lives ruthlessly competing for land, property, hos, and weapons...'
After the information flashed through his mind, he silently intoned.
'Star chart from the Kalium Gate to Vessor.'
'...'
After intoning it eleven tis, he tossed the dice.
The triangular pyramid tumbled through the air. The mont it landed in his open palm, a scene like a holographic projection unfolded.
His eyes blazed. He joyfully morized the star chart and encoded it on a data-crystal.
"The Vessorines have a significant proportion of Blanks. If not one in five, at least one in ten."
"If their loyalty to the Emperor of Terra was more than the image on high-denomination currency, they would be the ideal race to garrison Cadia."
"With Chaos rising, the Vessorines will be very useful."
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu
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