Nareth extended his spirituality, touching the glowing orbs of Arkhas Fal and Nerat Kirine. After confirming they were alone, he drew them into the Kingdom of Disorder.
The two knelt in the black mist, then looked at each other.
Through the mist, they could just make out the other's form.
"Lord Arkhas." Nerat saluted his former Legion Master.
"Nerat." Arkhas nodded.
Nareth leaned back on his throne and spoke.
"Horus has betrayed the Imperium. He is about to launch a rebellion."
"Horus…"
"The Warmaster…"
They exclaimed in surprise, recalling the days of the Great Crusade when Horus had led them to victory against one enemy of humanity after another.
"Arkhas, you will lead your force immediately, along the Imperial border, secretly to the Coronid New Zone."
"Nerat, you will move closer to the Thramas Sector and await my command."
The Ashen Claws' exile had been the Ghoul Stars, making them familiar with the region.
Recovering from their shock, they composed themselves. "By Your will."
After returning them to the real world, Nareth extended his spirituality again, touching the orbs of Agakhan and Narsin of the White Scars, ordering them to proceed to the Coronid New Zone.
"The Sixth Chapter has thirty-six thousand one hundred and fifty warriors. Adding over forty thousand World Eaters and thirteen thousand Space Sharks gives me nearly ninety thousand warriors for direct defense, far more than the War Council's records of twenty thousand seven hundred."
"With the White Scars' expertise in guerrilla warfare, they can harass the enemy."
Nareth's low voice echoed through the black mist. He gathered his thoughts and extended his spirituality once more, touching Arkhan Land's orb.
Confirming Arkhan was alone, he drew him into the Kingdom of Disorder.
Arkhan bowed to the Black Emperor upon his throne. "My Lord."
"Horus has betrayed the Imperium."
Arkhan's expression was calm. He had long told the Emperor that the Primarchs were brutal monsters and should not lead the Great Crusade.
Of course, the Black Emperor was different. He was the Omnissiah.
Ferrus, Perturabo, and Vulkan had mechanical perception; they were barely acceptable.
'Just as I thought. The Emperor is not the Omnissiah.'
"The Emperor foolishly appointed Number Sixteen as Warmaster. He reaps what he sowed."
Nareth looked down at Arkhan, who had always been a maverick. The universally beloved Sanguinius and Horus were merely Number Nine and Number Sixteen to him.
Without his brilliance, which even the Emperor relied on, and his willingness to call the Primarchs by their numbers, he might not even have become a Magos.
His talent was undeniable. He had discovered the Universal Land Engine, the Land Speeder, the Land Raider, the Land Crawler multi-purpose heavy engineering vehicle, and a whole series of STCs.
With the support of the "Lawyers" Nareth had sent to assist him, Arkhan had successfully risen to Archmagos.
He was no longer alone; he had founded the Landite Sect, which rejected bodily mechanization and advocated for preserving the flesh.
They explored the ruins of Mars, unearthing lost technologies, with the glass grenade being their greatest achievement.
Now was the time for Arkhan to use his influence to secure gains for himself during the Schism of Mars.
"The Sixteen's envoy, Regulus, is about to return to Mars," Nareth said, following Arkhan's lead.
"Kelbor-Hal will open the Vaults of Moravec, sealed by the Emperor. The scrapcode will corrupt him and his followers. The Dark Mechanicum will be born."
Arkhan's expression changed. "You mean Mars will fracture and fall into civil war?"
"Indeed. You are well aware of the tensions on Mars," Nareth said.
"Yes, my Lord." Arkhan replied.
"The Magi are locked in power struggles. Tensions are high. Espionage and violent attacks against rival forge temples are escalating."
"It is said the Titan Legions are already choosing sides."
Nareth nodded. "Your primary task is to obtain the prototype design templates for the new pattern of power armor from Forge Master Kane's forge temple in the cogitator vaults on Mondus Occulum."
The most valuable prize in the Schism of Mars was the Mark VII Aquila Armor design schematic.
Very few knew this secret: only Kelbor-Hal, Forge Master Kane, and the Regent Malcador.
Malcador, upon learning of the Martian civil war, had told the Praetorian of Terra, Rogal Dorn.
"Second, the Mark VI power armor data and completed suits stored on Mondus Occulum and Mondus Gamma."
Nareth remembered that Dorn, to secure these assets, had been willing to risk his warriors and the Sol System's security.
Fearing the punitive fleet could not destroy Horus's rebels, he had sent Sigismund and Camba Diaz, with four Imperial Fists companies and thirty Custodes sent by Malcador, to Mars.
They had taken thousands of Mark VI suits.
"The Mark IV and weapons already stored in the forge temple on Mondus Occulum are also to be taken."
Nareth recalled that Kane had done his utmost to assist Sigismund, loading twelve thousand Mark IV suits and twenty-four thousand weapons onto the evacuation fleet.
The Imperial Fists and loyalists had been able to equip large numbers with the new armor.
Though he was already prepared, and didn't lack Mark IV like other loyalists, if he was going to take it, he would take it all.
If he was taking the more valuable items, there was no reason to leave the rest.
War inevitably meant losses; resupply was always welcome.
'Dorn, since I've swindled you already, I won't leave anything for you either.'
'You're on your own.'
"The Legio Vulpa will side with Kelbor-Hal. But the Legio Tempestus, and House Taranis will remain loyal to the Imperium."
"Try to persuade them to leave Mars with you."
Nareth knew that not all of the Stormlords, one of the three Martian Iron Legions, had betrayed the Imperium.
The Princeps made a wise decision during the Great Crusade that later led to the Legio's division.
The Legio Tempestus, for its merits, was granted the right to garrison key worlds in the Esteban and Orestes systems.
He brought his most damaged Titans back to Mars, leaving the Legion's main force under the command of his deputy, Princeps Maximus Karania.
Over the following decades, the Legion developed into two independent systems, with no direct contact, self-sufficient and waging their own wars.
Karania was a master of intrigue and a believer in the numerological cult, the Teleologists.
This cult claimed to be able to predict coming doomsday from past catastrophes.
Karania also refused to acknowledge the Emperor as the Omnissiah. The Warmaster, who had discovered his secret before his Martian colleagues, had invited him to join his cause.
He saw the prophecy of doom and swore fealty to the Warmaster.
In the end, after the death of loyalist Princeps like the Storm Lord, Cavalerio, Karania was increasingly convinced of his prophecy's fulfillment.
He then seized control of Forge World Esteban III, purging all factions loyal to the Emperor.
Of House Taranis, Raf Maven and one other Knight survived the Schism of Mars.
Maven, through years of hardship, rebuilt the First Knight House.
After hearing the Black Emperor's commands, Arkhan thought for twelve seconds before speaking.
"My Lord, I will do my utmost to fulfill Your divine will. But my followers are not known for their combat prowess."
"Shadows of Order are powerful, but thirty of them are not enough to accomplish Your task."
"Do not worry." Nareth's voice was like the low rumble of the Omnissiah's bell.
"I have already made arrangements. You will have assistance when the time comes."
"Your task now is to establish contact with Kane, the Storm Lord Cavalerio, and Raf Maven of House Taranis."
"At the same time, encourage more forge temples to adopt the new mental-space technology, the Akashic Reader. In this, you should seek the aid of Lady Koriel Zeth, the Forge Mistress of the Magma City."
"The rationale can be archaeological research and technological development."
Nareth recalled that when the Schism of Mars officially broke out, the scrapcode swept through most loyalist forge temples.
Only a handful that had adopted the new Akashic Reader technology survived.
"By Your will." Arkhan bowed respectfully.
After returning Arkhan to Mars, Nareth extended his spirituality, touching the orb of Akurduana, Captain of the 2nd Company of the Emperor's Children.
A hazy, ethereal image unfolded before him. He saw Akurduana following the silver-haired Fulgrim.
Walking beside him was the Warmaster.
Nareth withdrew his spirituality. He would arrange things for those he had influenced within the Emperor's Children later.
....
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