The massive hull of the Pathfinder was anchored silently in the void on the periphery of the Nexum system, appearing like a silent mountain of metal.
Unlike the quiet atmosphere of the days when the ship focused solely on internal research, the Pathfinder was currently host to several strike cruisers of varying designs, yet all bore the heraldry of the Imperial Fists and their successor chapters.
Like hawks returning to the nest, they circled the flagship, forming a small fleet formation.
The second batch of recruits cultivated by Osiris was nearing the completion of their basic conditioning and entering the final stage of evaluation and acceptance.
This time, the Imperial Fists and their primary successor chapters—the Black Templars, Crimson Fists, Exemplars, and others—had all dispatched representatives to form a joint observation group.
The scale of this inspection far exceeded the low-profile nature of the first, revealing a level of importance that was anything but ordinary.
This level of attention stemmed from the direct will of the Primarch, Rogal Dorn.
Inside the Chamber of Meditation deep within the Imperial Palace on Holy Terra, Rogal Dorn was reviewing the latest report on the progress of the gene-seed improvement project. His mountainous figure stood motionless, his face as stoic and resolute as if carved from granite.
In Dorn's view, Guilliman's Codex Astartes and the subsequent splitting of the Legions were expedient measures taken by Guilliman during a unique era, based on his political and administrative talents to maintain the unity of the Imperium.
He understood the necessity—after the Great Crusade, the massive and highly independent Astartes Legions could indeed have become a potential threat to the stability of the Imperium—but deep down, he did not entirely agree with this method of dispersing power.
However, the reality was that Guilliman had been interred within a stasis field, and he was the only remaining Primarch in the Imperium. Maintaining order and unity was his responsibility.
He had continued the splitting of the Legion, but the Imperial Fists had still established a final protocol known as the "Last Wall."
This was a core directive deeply embedded in the genes and traditions of all Imperial Fists and their successors: when the Imperium faced an existential crisis, all dispersed chapters would immediately regroup without hesitation, merging into one to 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 was extremely attentive to any technology that could substantially improve the overall combat effectiveness of the Imperial Fists' forces.
Once the results of the first batch were verified, Osiris' gene-seed improvement technology entered Dorn's strategic horizon. If this technology could stably and reliably increase the efficiency and quality of recruit cultivation, its significance lay not just in replenishing soldiers, but in the long term, it would significantly enhance the foundation and recovery capabilities of all chapters of the Imperial Fists lineage.
Yet, he was also cautious, even suspicious.
The trauma of the Horus Heresy warned him deeply that even genetic brothers could fall, and that even cutting-edge technology could harbor hidden dangers.
He could not fully trust any person or force other than his own sons to keep and distribute such critical technology.
Therefore, his decision was clear and firm: this technology must be applied, first and thoroughly, to all chapters under the Imperial Fists. Only when the strength of the Imperial Fists lineage was definitively bolstered—ensuring it was solid enough to handle any internal turmoil or external challenges—would he consider sharing the technology conditionally with other loyalist legions under stricter supervision.
As for the progeny of the rebel legions? They were long ago excluded from consideration.
In his view, while the current Imperium was fraught with constant strife, endless flames of war on the borders, and incessant harassment by xenos and heretics, there were no imminent, catastrophic threats capable of shaking the foundations of the Imperium.
The Chaos Gods had been heavily crippled at the end of the Heresy and had yet to recover, their influence greatly suppressed in the material universe.
The scattered remnants of the Black Legion, rogue Chaos warbands, or xenos riots in remote star systems were merely "itchy sores" that required continuous cleansing. To him, a true, galaxy-sweeping storm of terror was an issue that would not need to be considered for at least several hundred, if not a thousand, years.
Before that, he had to use every moment and resource to forge the Imperial Fists and their successors to be even stronger, preparing for the potential arrival of the true "Last Wall" moment.
Osiris, an Adeptus Mechanicus Magos with a complex background but exceptional technical capability, had become the key technical executor for this reinforcement plan in Dorn's eyes, due to his special connection with Sigismund and the pragmatic attitude he had displayed.
The evaluation of the second batch of recruits was not only a node to test the stability of the technology, but also a critical occasion to showcase results to all chapters under the Imperial Fists, unify their understanding, and initiate the first step of technological promotion.
At this moment, inside the reception hall of the ship, the atmosphere was solemn and slightly scrutinizing. As the representative for the Black Templars and the chief coordinator for this observation, Sigismund stood in the center of the hall. Beside him were several representatives from various successor chapters: a company captain from the Crimson Fists known for his steady temperament—his blue power armor looked remarkably like that of an Ultramarine; a senior apothecary from the Exemplars, whose gaze was sharp and focused more on the biological stability of the technology.
There were also captains or tech-marines from other successor chapters, who observed everything in silence, assessing the security, discipline, and—the underlying technological prowess—of this mobile research fortress.
Osiris' primary body appeared in person at the scene. His massive, highly mechanized frame, and the silent, swaying mechadendrites behind him, undoubtedly heralded his status and power as a high-ranking Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus. His crimson optical lenses scanned the representatives from each chapter calmly, and a synthesized voice sounded steadily:
"Welcome, brothers of the Imperial Fists. The final physiological activation of the test subjects has been completed, and the evaluation area is ready. Before the assessment begins, if you have any questions regarding the cultivation process or technical details, feel free to ask."
The apothecary from the Exemplars spoke first, his voice emerging through his helmet's speaker with the characteristic caution of his calling: "Magos Osiris, the reports indicate the cultivation cycle has been significantly shortened. We are concerned about whether this acceleration 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 fidelity of the long-term genetic information."
"The optimization of the cultivation cycle is based primarily on the improvement of nutrient delivery efficiency, fine-tuning of metabolic pathways, and the precise control of the timing of critical growth factor delivery; it does not touch the core coding sequence of the gene-seed itself," Osiris replied, pointing to the technical details.
"Regarding the Black Carapace, we have introduced a phased neural electrical stimulation synchronization protocol. Data shows that its initial compatibility with the subject's nervous system is actually superior to some traditional cultivation cases. All physiological data chains for the entire cultivation process have been archived and are available for your analysis within your authorized access levels."