Chapter 729: Attention of the Successor Chapters
The massive hull of the Eternal Seeker quietly anchored in the void on the outskirts of the Necromunda star system, like a silent metallic mountain.
Unlike its usual tranquility focused on internal research, the Eternal Seeker was now greeted by several strike cruisers of varying styles, yet all bearing the insignias of the Imperial Fists and its successor chapters. They circled the flagship like falcons returning to their nest, forming a small fleet formation.
The second batch of recruits cultivated by Ryo was about to complete their basic cultivation and enter the final assessment and acceptance phase.
This time, the Imperial Fists and their primary successor chapters—the Black Templars, the Crimson Fists, and the Exemplars—had all sent representatives to form a joint observation and assessment team. The scale far exceeded the low-profile nature of the first acceptance, revealing extraordinary attention.
This attention stemmed from the direct will of the Primarch, Rogal Dorn.
Deep within the meditation chambers of the Imperial Palace on Holy Terra, Rogal Dorn reviewed the latest report on the progress of the gene-seed improvement project. His mountain-like figure stood motionless, his face as resolute as carved granite.
In Dorn's eyes, Guilliman's Codex Astartes and the resulting division of the Legions was an expedient measure taken by Guilliman during a special period to maintain the Imperium's unity, based on his political and managerial genius. He understood its necessity—after the Great Crusade, the massive and highly independent Astartes Legions could indeed become a potential threat to the Imperium's stability—but deep down, he did not fully agree with this practice of dispersing their strength.
However, the reality was that Guilliman had fallen into a stasis field, and he was the only surviving Primarch active in the Imperium. Maintaining the order and unity of the Imperium was his responsibility at this moment.
He continued the division of the Legion, but the Imperial Fists had also established an ultimate protocol known as the Last Wall. This was a core directive deeply implanted within the genetics and heritage of all Imperial Fists and their successor chapters: when the Imperium faced an existential crisis, all dispersed chapters would reassemble without hesitation, merge into one, restore the might of the Legion, and build the final fortress to defend humanity.
It was precisely based on this understanding of ultimate responsibility that Dorn paid extreme attention to any technology that could substantially elevate the overall combat power of the forces under the Imperial Fists.
Ryo's gene-seed improvement technology entered Dorn's strategic vision after the first batch of results was verified. If this technology could stably and reliably increase the efficiency and quality of recruit cultivation, its significance lay not only in replenishing troop numbers but, in the long run, in significantly enhancing the foundation and recovery capabilities of all chapters in the Imperial Fists lineage.
But he was equally cautious, even suspicious. The trauma of the Horus Heresy served as a profound warning that even gene-brothers could fall to corruption, and even cutting-edge technology could harbor hidden disasters. He could not fully trust anyone or any faction outside of his own sons to safeguard and distribute such critical technology.
Therefore, his decision was clear and unwavering: this technology must be prioritized and thoroughly applied to all chapters under the Imperial Fists. Only when the power of the Imperial Fists lineage was unequivocally strengthened by this, ensuring it was solid enough to handle any internal turmoil or external challenges, would he consider conditionally sharing the technology with other loyalist legions under stricter supervision.
As for the sons of the traitor legions? They had long been excluded from consideration.
In his view, although the current Imperium was fraught with constant strife, endless border wars, and incessant harassment by xenos and heretics, there was no imminent, devastating threat capable of shaking the Imperium's foundations. The Chaos Gods had not yet recovered from the heavy blows dealt at the end of the Heresy, and their influence in the material universe was greatly suppressed. Occasional remnants of the Black Legion, scattered Chaos warbands, or xenos uprisings in remote systems were merely skin diseases requiring continuous purging.
A true, galaxy-sweeping storm of terror, in his eyes, was a problem that would only need to be considered hundreds or even thousands of years from now. Before then, he had to utilize all time and resources to forge the Imperial Fists and their successor chapters to be even stronger, preparing for that true Last Wall moment that might come.
Ryo, this Tech-Priest Magos with a complex background but outstanding technical capabilities, became the key technical executor for implementing this reinforcement plan in Dorn's eyes, due to his special connection with Sigismund and his pragmatic attitude.
The assessment of the second batch of recruits was not just a milestone to test technological stability; it was a crucial occasion to showcase the results to all chapters under the Imperial Fists, unify their understanding, and launch the first step of technological promotion.
At this moment, inside the reception hall of the Eternal Seeker, the atmosphere was solemn and carried a hint of scrutiny.
Sigismund, serving as the representative of the Black Templars and the chief coordinator for this observation, stood in the center of the hall. Beside him were representatives from different successor chapters: a company captain from the Crimson Fists known for his steadiness, whose blue power armor made him look more like an Ultramarine; and a veteran Apothecary from the Exemplars, whose sharp gaze focused more on the biological stability of the technology.
There were also captains or Techmarines from several other successor chapters. They silently observed everything around them, evaluating the security, discipline, and underlying technological prowess of this mobile research fortress.
Ryo's main body personally appeared at the reception site. His massive, highly mechanized body and the silently swaying mechadendrites behind him undoubtedly declared his status and power as a High Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
His crimson optical lenses calmly swept over the representatives from the various successor chapters, and his synthesized voice sounded steadily: "Welcome, brothers of the Imperial Fists. The final physiological activation of the test subjects is complete, and the assessment area is ready. Before the assessment begins, if you have any questions regarding the cultivation process or technical details, you may ask them."
The Apothecary from the Exemplars was the first to speak. His voice transmitted through his helmet's vox-caster, carrying the characteristic prudence of an Apothecary: "Magos Ryo, the reports indicate a significant shortening of the cultivation cycle. Our concern is whether the accelerated process affects the stability of the gene-seed, particularly the neural integration completeness of the nineteenth organ, the Black Carapace, as well as the potential long-term genetic information fidelity."
"The optimization of the cultivation cycle is primarily based on improved nutrient delivery efficiency, micro-adjustments to metabolic pathways, and the precise timing of critical growth factor delivery; it does not touch the core encoding sequence of the gene-seed itself," Ryo's answer pointed to the technical details. "Regarding the Black Carapace, we introduced a phased neural electrical stimulation synchronization protocol. The data shows that its initial compatibility with the subjects' nervous systems is actually superior to some traditional cultivation cases. The physiological data chains of all cultivation processes have been archived and are available for your review and analysis within your authorization levels."