Aboard the Shadow's Sovereignty, in the Primarch's office.
Arsena, holding a datapad, reported, "My Lord, the Fourth, Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Chapters have deployed a total of one hundred and nine thousand five hundred warriors."
"According to intelligence from Horus and the War Council, the Gordian League is composed of the human forces of the Gordian system and twenty-eight xenos factions."
"The Eleventh Chapter's fleet engaged the enemy fleet in the Avellaneda system."
"Given the League's mixed human and xenos forces, their vessel signatures will vary." Nareth ordered.
"All vessels are to activate their simulation modules to forge Gordian League vessel signatures."
"The Eleventh Chapter will act as the main attack force."
"By Your will."
After Arsena withdrew, Nareth rose from his throne.
He walked to his quarters. Out of sight, he stepped into the Kingdom of Disorder.
Seated upon the throne in the fourth layer, he extended his spirituality, touching the orb of Bukayo Arshavin, Chapter Master of the Third.
"My Lord." Bukayo, clad in black armor, knelt in the mist.
"You will dispatch your vessels in batches to the Xana-Vicidex system, under the guise of rotational redeployment and reinforcement against the Hrud migration. Take possession of the Ramilles-class starfort."
During the Second Rangdan War, when he had relieved the besieged Xana, he had considered securing part of it during the Heresy, and had deployed the starfort as a strategic asset.
Things had gone even more smoothly than expected. He had used the opportunity to "corrode" the future Tyrant of Xana, Anacharis Scoria.
Though Anacharis was vying for the position of Archmagos Intendant, on Xana, with its many factions and strong separatism, he could not yet control the entire Forge World alone.
Nareth now wanted not a part, but at least the majority, ideally all of it.
"By Your will." Bukayo bowed.
As Nareth returned Bukayo to reality, in the Avellaneda system.
The flagship of the Eleventh Chapter, the Dark Sovereign.
The blade-like predator vessel, bathed in the green light of the star, cut through the void, plunging into the heart of the enemy fleet.
The moment it reached its attack position, its broadside turrets struck, blades of light in the darkness.
Searing plasma streams lanced across the void, trailing fire, striking the grey vessels of the Gordian League.
The void shields of two battleships flickered with swirling light.
A more lethal attack followed. The Dark Sovereign's unique weapons system fired continuous beams of golden energy.
The pillars of light ignited a blazing golden sun in the Avellaneda system, their radiance piercing the darkness, stabbing into the heavy armor.
The golden beams grew brighter. Their coronas swallowed the faint lumen light.
Golden light projected from the other side of the hull, at first like pinpricks of light, then widening.
The expanding light swirled together, a golden vortex consuming the grey behemoths.
The silent waves of fire, slamming against the golden vortex, dissipated into points of light, blinding the Gordian vessels, silencing their scanning signals.
The Dark Sovereign flashed past the wreckage of the engines, then, like a spinning blade, slammed between two grey Gordian cruisers, unleashing battleship-level firepower.
The black blade carved through the enemy fleet, harvesting grey vessels while scattering the Gordian formation.
One by one, black ships cut into the chaos, unleashing close-range broadsides.
A torrent of fire hammered the grey vessels.
Their engines burst, blue-white flames streaking across their hulls.
On the Dark Sovereign's bridge, "Pablo" studied the holographic display, taking in the data streams from the surrounding view screens.
'The Dark Sovereign, gifted to Nareth by the Emperor, is truly a unique vessel.'
'Its hull is that of a strike cruiser, yet it possesses the advantages of a smaller vessel: frigate speed, destroyer maneuverability. And strangely, it also combines the advantages of a larger vessel: battleship firepower and defense.'
'Only Dark Age of Technology science could allow such a vessel to combine so many contradictory and unique advantages.'
Pablo knew the Dark Sovereign had been personally recovered by the Emperor from Ganymede's permafrost.
Nareth had accompanied the Emperor to Barbarus, helping Mortarion overthrow the xenos tyranny.
In recognition of his contribution, the Emperor had gifted him the Dark Sovereign, which he had assigned to Pell as the Eleventh Chapter's flagship.
'The Emperor truly favored Nareth, giving him a vessel that suited his tastes.'
Before his gene-father, Alpharius, had sent him to infiltrate the Shadows of Order, he had been granted access to one of the Legion's most valuable assets: their intelligence on the Shadows of Order.
Though the Shadows of Order had always fought on the Imperium's front lines, participating in many major campaigns, they remained shrouded in mystery.
Their varied psychic abilities covered a wider range than even the White Scars and Blood Angels, surpassing even the Thousand Sons.
The fact that nearly half of them were psykers, and that they outnumbered the Thousand Sons, was extraordinary.
Their father, investigating the source, had only confirmed the existence of one ability, the "Gryphon's Roar," originating from Mancora in the Segmentum Ultima, which was also the world where the Shadows of Order had established its Librarius.
He believed the Shadows of Order might have as many as thirty hidden territories beyond the Imperium's sight.
He also believed their decline might not be as drastic as it appeared, and their actual strength could exceed two hundred and sixty thousand.
"Pablo" felt the Shadows of Order shared similarities with the Alpha Legion. He didn't even know the true size of his own Legion.
'This mission is a rare opportunity for me. A chance to uncover the secrets of the Shadows of Order.'
Information was the Alpha Legion's most prized asset. Those who possessed unique information advanced in the Legion's hierarchy.
"Pablo, update the starboard strike plan from the simulation sanctum."
Without thinking, "Pablo" instinctively obeyed the voice of "Majesty."
He quickly divided the new strike plan from the cogitator array into data packets and uploaded them to the Chapter Master's tactical network.
Pell, the "Mentor of Disorder," watched "Pablo's" every move.
After receiving a report from the Chapter's Chaplains confirming that "Pablo," who had shown exceptional talent in command, was an Alpha infiltrator, he had decided to handle the matter personally.
He had promoted "Pablo" to an auxiliary officer, keeping him close.
'From conscious thought to now, "Pablo" has been following my will, obeying instinctively. It is only a matter of time before he is fully subjugated.'
....
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