Forge World, Valia-Maximal.
The members of the Conclave of Magi had assembled in the Forge Temple. A stream of piercing red 0s and 1s scrolled through the noosphere.
[First Expeditionary Fleet annihilated.]
[Agri-world Narindi lost.]
[...]
News of the complete collapse of the war situation across thirteen star systems erupted within twenty-five seconds.
Even the augmented brains of the Magi were momentarily plunged into a state of cognitive stasis.
A fourteenth message pierced the deathly silence of the temple: [Hoff Albion lost.]
This message was particularly glaring.
Hoff Albion symbolized Valia-Maximal's glorious achievement in destroying the Hydrinoxis Conclave during their long war.
From then on, they would bow to no power.
The cold reality shattered these delusional thoughts.
"How could the enemy advance so quickly?" First Magus Unai-9 voiced the question.
For the past two years, Valia-Maximal had held its own in the grinding war against Graia. Why had the tide turned so drastically in less than four weeks?
"The faction calling itself the Imperium of Man dispatched its outstanding commander, Nareth, leading his Shadow of Order Legion, launching a swift offensive," Envoy Magus stated calmly, relaying the intelligence gathered from his communications with the Martian envoy.
First Magus Unai-9 looked towards the holographic projection of the Prime Hermeticon. "How much longer can we hold out?"
The Prime Hermeticon, responsible for military affairs, stared at the flickering holographic map for sixteen seconds. Then, he raised his mechadendrites and traced two blue-green defensive lines on the north and south sides of the displayed region.
"The Legio Laniaskara will fully deploy, supporting the Hunter cohorts of the Collegia Titanica. The newly established lines will hold against the Shadow of Order's attack."
"The Legio Volcanum I in the south and the Legio Astraman in the north will also be stopped."
"It is estimated the southern line can hold for three weeks, but the northern line can hold for only one week."
Sensing the wave of questioning rising in the noosphere, the Prime Hermeticon further explained why the northern line would hold for less time than the southern: "Graia has raised its Crown."
"The Shadow of Order's tripedal walkers can also threaten our God-machines."
"One week is the most optimistic estimate."
The Prime Hermeticon stared at the black wedge thrusting into their heartland. "We likely won't have even that much time."
"The one who penetrated to Hoff Albion is Nareth and his retinue. Whichever flank he attacks, he will tear open our lines from the side or rear."
"Colleagues," Envoy Magus suddenly sent a burst of thought pulse.
"I have received unverified intelligence: Shadow of Order is their largest Legion. He has deployed only two of its twelve Chapters."
"The northern force with the tripedal walkers is the Second Chapter. The southern force is the Tenth Chapter."
The noosphere fell into a deathly silence. The scrolling 0s and 1s stalled, trapped in a mire of thought.
After a long six seconds, First Magus Unai-9 repeated the words.
"Two Chapters..."
'Two Chapters, yet so relentlessly swift, so unstoppable.'
Another ten seconds of silence. "We sue for peace with the Imperium. We accept the jurisdiction of Mars."
"A wise decision."
At the same moment, on Hoff Albion.
Nareth stepped into the only Forge Temple on this world.
Arsena walked beside him. He had led the "Knowledge Keeper" in accessing all the planetary log files.
After compiling and analyzing all the information, the Primarch's attendant reported: "My lord, this temple was originally the site of the Hydrinoxis Conclave's Round Table meetings."
"Valia-Maximal built this Forge Temple here to commemorate their victory."
"According to the log records, an ancient statue stood within the Round Table venue. Every meeting was held beneath that statue."
Nareth nodded and strode forward. His obsidian eyes took in the scene within the temple.
Forge fires flickered and dimmed. Censers lay toppled on the ground.
Nareth's gaze sharpened, focusing on the central gear mechanism.
A red outer gear meshed with a blue-green inner gear.
As they turned, a gray sphere was embedded at the center where the red and blue-green gears overlapped.
Thump, thump, thump...
In the Primarch's field of vision, it pulsed and contracted like a heart.
In the "Mentor of Disorder's" sight, intricate threads of gray-black rules were densely intertwined.
Nareth stepped forward. His silver-haired Primarch's attendant followed close behind.
He gazed at the gear, noting that the material of the stone sphere was clearly different from the metal gears.
"The stone sphere was likely taken from the ancient statue and used to rebuild the gear mechanism."
"Apart from commemorating their victory, it seems they also..."
As he spoke, the blue-green and red gears spun rapidly, emitting a dull, thumping sound.
Bang!
Arsena's face turned deathly pale. He instantly pushed his Thelema mindstate of mind from the First Level to the Third, calming the overwhelming shadow that descended upon him.
The "Mentor of Disorder's" spirituality surged. In a single stride, he crossed dozens of meters and stood before the gear.
Black mist coalesced in his right palm. He raised his arm, reached out, and grasped the trembling stone sphere.
Whoosh!
The stone sphere vanished into thin air.
Rumble!
The interlocking blue-green and red gears, seemingly losing their pivot, collapsed with a crash.
Nareth nodded with a satisfied smile. The third fragment of Be'lakor's relic was in hand.
Be'lakor's Heart.
Arsena, his hair silver as snow, regained his composure. He gazed at the collapsed gear, at the vanished stone sphere, lost in thought.
Moments later, they boarded a Stormbird, returning to the Aquila Lander.
Through the narrow viewport, Nareth gazed at the burning landscape below. Vast columns of servitor legions were excavating Titan drop-lander craters.
Within his field of vision, groups of ships, equipped with excavators, cranes, and transports, were engaged in Titan recovery.
This was a lengthy engineering task, requiring immense manpower management, logistical coordination, and the proprietary skills of Tech-Priests.
As the Stormbird settled onto the flight deck, Nareth was about to issue orders to link up with the Second Chapter and shatter the northern enemy line when the comm-bead in Arsena's ear buzzed.
After receiving the report, the Primarch's attendant immediately relayed it.
"My lord, Valia-Maximal has surrendered. They request to sign an accord with Mars."
Nareth's lips curled. "Order the fleet to set course. Destination: Valia-Maximal."
He would reach the Forge World before the Martian envoy, and secure its submission.
'I can't do all this work just to hand it over to someone else.
'Besides, Valia-Maximal never truly submitted to Mars anyway.'
Nareth recalled that although Valia-Maximal submitted to the Imperium, its unique liquid-gas mixture, extracted from its highly corrosive seawater and used in industrial manufacturing to produce alloys with greater strength, corrosion resistance, and excellent plasma properties suitable for war machines in extreme environments, did attract Mars's attention.
Consequently, Mars funded Valia-Maximal's expansion of production lines, ushering in a new period of prosperity.
Yet Valia-Maximal still clung tightly to its own secrets, maintaining only loose ties with Mars.
'Since Mars lacks the capability to truly subdue Valia-Maximal, I will take the task upon myself.'
As Nareth mused, he returned to the Primarch's office, then projected himself into the fourth layer of the Kingdom of Disorder.
He extended his spirituality, touching the glowing spiritual orbs of Wilshire and Ramsey.
The information he wished to convey formed in Nareth's mind, transmitted through the subtle link to the orbs.
"Valia-Maximal has surrendered. Halt all attacks!"
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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