804.M30 Ultima Segmentum, Ghoul Stars, Cygnis III, Vault Bunker.
Caspian is laying on the ground surrounded by his skitarii he named Mutant Augmented Reanimated Servitors.
On his body the crux tattoo starts to glow, not bright, more like a black hole taking away light from its surroundings. Caspian's body begins to writhe in what could be called agony. Muscles begin to show visible deterioration.
He seemed to be hollowing out. The tattoo continues to pulse in this manner for almost 4 days before it stops. By the time it is done, Caspian looks very deflated and skinny, akin to someone who has not eaten anything for decades.
Once it stopped the tattoo looks like someone has shaded in the tattoo with black ink. The tattoo if measured would look about 40% completed. And now it has begun to pulse with a silver radiance across it.
With the silver pulsing, Caspian's body began to restore itself back to what it once was.
It looks like all is going well then once again the crux tattoo acted like a black hole again, causing more losses for Caspian.
Then it stopped and almost immediately started pulsing silver again. This was not a one time thing, it repeated itself many times during the year. The result is Caspian's losing all of his muscles and his skin almost sticking to the bones of his body.
With each recovery, it is never enough to get the body back to what it was meant to be.
This time though it is a very slow process.
Elsewhere
805.M30 Sol System, Luna.
After close to a year of service, Dravion returned with the rest of the neophytes who completed their test service. Marcus, Clyde, Arthur, and Elmer were always defensive around him for the rest of their service.
They had every right to be, the situation occurred again and again. Immediately they came back to the Luna research labs. Marcus went straight to a selenar gene cultist to report the situation.
"Subject XIV-168, redirect to Primary Sanitarium-02. The Matriarch demands a tactile audit." A cultist called Dravion immediately after the report by Marcus.
Dravion passed by Marcus, but all he got was a look of contemplation. He is not contemplating betrayal, not, he is contemplating where the error had occurred. He is contemplating subjugating protocols against Dravion.
"Define this presence, why has my sanctum been polluted by this half-finished thing?" the selenar matriarch asked the cultist who brought Dravion to here.
"Sanctioned report from the field. Genetic instability detected, a Neophyte reports a failure in cognitive suppression."
"Since when do the dreg criticize their betters? Their observations are noise, my scanners are truth." the matriarch hissed at the cultist.
She could not allow what she believed were commoners with limited intelligence to dictate to her, what is correct or not.
"Insign the specimen to the immersion-cradle. I shall peel back the layers and find where the rot started." she said as she turned around and moved to another section to the front of her cortex monitor.
Testing began. What the matriarch saw made her smile like she had found her baby. Dravion's genes are abnormally compatible with the gene strain XIV. If she did not know any better she would have thought him the son of the Emperor himself.
Those blasphemous thoughts did not linger in her mind. She continued her testing and finally found the reason for some of the reports she had received.
First Dravion had an unhealthy metabolic system, before his selection for the conversion. Secondly, a reaction between his adrenal secretion organ and the Haemastamen organ, creating a violent release of adrenaline.
It could be categorized as a mutation, but she did not believe it affected the effectiveness of the neophyte. She decided to perform the rest of the procedures herself. Therefore while the rest of the neophytes were undergoing the phase V, Dravion also began his.
Starting this phase is the Mucranoid. Specialized needles came out of the servitors arms, bringing with it a specialized gland that is then sewn into the sweat-ducts of the neophytes.
This is to grant the Astartes the ability to secret a waxy, vacuum-resistant coating over the entire body. Enabling survival in extreme conditions.
The next step is the Betcher's Gland. Kneedles once again invade the mouth to access the salivary glands which are surgically altered to house a volatile, acidic venom-sac. It can be triggered by a specific tongue-press.
The Progenoid Glands are installed immediately after. It resembles a tumor and it is installed into the neck and chest through small incisions done by micro beam scalpels. They act as genetic banks that will record the legacy of the Astartes.
This is when the neophytes are left again to enter the nutrient vats. They will be deployed into their legions and the final organ part of the process will begin on-board their legions ships.
The matriarch kept looking at Dravion as though she would lose something if he is sent out.
'A chimeric vessel... how many seeds could this soil hold before it cracks?'
This thought ran through her mind many times, but in the end she knew she could not do that. Looking around to ensure the absence of anyone, before she continued her work.
They have overseers, those accursed women that block the light of the soul. She did not want to meet them again.
2 months of recalibration and this time the neophytes leave as true Legionary. They will serve in their legions up until they are ready to receive the final implant, that would take them from being a mortal to a full fledged Astartes.
"Harnath! You still breathe, then." Dravion called. He has not seen his friend in a long time.
"Dravion Karth" Harnath's deep and gravely voice sounded in Dravion's ear.
This was not the friend he knew. Something has changed in him, his entire demeanor seemed almost like a sword drawn from its sheath.
Ready to kill at any second, almost everyone maintained some distance from those of the II strain.
'Could this be the reason for this'
"Has the II Legion received its deployment coordinates? Where does your path lead?" Dravion also changed his method of speaking.
No longer sensing a closeness with Harnath, addressed him officially.
"The scrolls remain blank. We wait in the shadows until the call is sounded." Harnath replied
"Then we shall trade blood on a different shore. Until the Crusade claims us, Brother." With that said Dravion walked away from them.