"My lord, Lord Mikael, the Catachans, whether man or woman, are excellent soldiers. In sheer individual quality, even the best of them are not inferior to the finest of the Solar Auxilia."
"From what I've gathered, half of all Catachans don't survive infancy, and of those who do, half won't live to adulthood."
"That is why every single one who reaches adulthood is already a hardened warrior," said the Hunter with admiration.
"But the Catachans still require training. They must learn Vostroyan to coordinate with allies."
"They also need drilling in tactics and formations, so that on the grand fields of war, their strength can be used more effectively."
The Reaper Lord asked: "What, then, do you consider the defining traits of a Catachan?"
The Hunter thought for several seconds before answering:
"This death world has forged them into something complex, a mix of raw recklessness, swagger, unending vigilance, and a near-paranoid caution."
"They excel at rapid movement, close-range firefights, infiltration, and sniping. They are masters of booby traps and ambushes."
"The best among them possess a keenness of perception nearly equal to the Shadows of Order initiates, lacking only in sensitivity to the warp. They are expert observers and ambushers."
The Reaper Lord nodded slightly. "That matches my own observations. Catachans are natural-born hunters."
"Skilled at reading their environment and using traps. As our gene-father once said, Catachan breeds hunters by nature. It is the perfect recruitment world for our Chapter."
He sighed, then turned to the Hunter in charge of recruitment.
"How goes the conscription?"
"My lord, there are about 150,000 boys of fighting age on Catachan. Every one of them is a fine prospect, fit to meet the requirements."
Seeing the Reaper Lord's pleased expression, the Chief Apothecary interjected with a reminder: "Sanchez, you cannot draft them all into the Legion. Doing so may swell our numbers in the short term, but it would cripple the next generation, leaving the world depopulated in time."
The Reaper Lord acknowledged the truth in this. "I understand."
He turned back to the recruitment officer.
"Choose only the best of the best. Each neophyte must be one in a hundred."
Then, to the officer in charge of auxilia conscription, he added, "Auxilia troops must sire children before they leave Catachan to serve."
Both Hunters answered in unison: "As you command, my lord."
The Reaper Lord turned to the Chief Apothecary with another question.
"This death world numbers only about five million. For a Legion's recruitment world, that is far too few. Can its population be made to grow steadily?"
The "Apothecary" answered at once, "Yes. Our father anticipated this. On a death world, medicine is the scarcest resource. I have already provided vast quantities of medical supplies. Our apothecaries are also studying the native flora, creating antidotes to neutralize the local venoms."
He smiled with confidence. "Sanchez, the population of your Chapter's recruitment world will indeed grow."
While the Seventh Chapter established itself on Catachan, the five worlds of the Triken system completed their first phase of development.
On Triken III, Harvest Priestess Marlena rode a shuttle across the skies, gazing down at the land below.
Warm sunlight bathed fertile black floodplains, with rivers winding like brushstrokes across the landscape. Endless rice paddies rippled in the wind, the heavy heads of grain swaying like waves.
Water was pumped from the Tevere River, scattering as mist from great irrigation systems, so that rainbows arced constantly in the air.
A newly promoted Healer, recently returned from the Wheel of Fire system, peered down at farm C-S-68 below.
"What a bountiful, beautiful world. It looks like a painting that could never be marred."
Kairi's homeworld, the Symphony of the Sea, had paid an environmental price for its vast farming and aquaculture.
But Triken was different, despite rapid growth, no scars marred its environment.
Marlena nodded slightly, inhaling deeply. The aroma of beets and cabbage from farm C-T-26 drifted even into the shuttle.
Her lips parted in quiet admiration. "Even if the Aeldari are xenos, one must admit, they have a unique mastery in reshaping worlds."
She stroked the blue data crystal in her hand, a prize from the Vigilus system. It held the extracted knowledge of an Aeldar Dire Avenger Exarch, tortured by the Arbiter Lord. The crystal contained insights into environmental engineering, which Nareth had entrusted to her via Kairi.
Marlena's eyes gleamed.
'To wield psyker power as the Aeldari do, to reshape a world… and to carve out farmland on Catachan, where the plants themselves have will and hunger, what a challenge. A fascinating one.'
Kairi, gazing at the fruit-laden orchards of farm C-G-38 below, spoke with concern.
"My lady, are you truly entrusting me with responsibility for all food production in these five systems, and oversight of industry's impact on the environment?"
The Triken system had become the Legion's chief supply base. The Eleventh Legion now controlled 68 star systems across the Segmentum Obscurus, most of which could not feed themselves. If Triken faltered, famine and unrest would spread.
Kairi doubted her ability to bear such a burden.
Marlena looked at her encouragingly.
"Kairi, you have been at my side long enough. With Lord Nareth's blessing, you are already a true Planter. You are my most carefully trained disciple, capable of bearing this duty."
"I have laid the foundations. All you need do is continue the path."
Her brown eyes fixed on farm M-Y-58, where shepherds drove their flocks.
"And besides, Lord Nareth has ordered me to Catachan."
A shadow of longing passed across her face as she thought of the world's living vines and man-eating flowers.
'Harvesting those mutant plants would greatly increase my power.'
"You are the one I trust, Kairi. Triken can only be be entrusted to you."
Marlena's confidence gave Kairi courage, and she resolved to accept the appointment.
"My lady, with your trust, I will devote myself fully. I won't let you down."
Marlena gave a slight nod and said to Kairi:
"To become a true "Doctor", you need practice. I've already spoken with the Legion's Apothecaries. They will gladly welcome you as a doctor, treating candidates who failed their augmentations."
Although the transformations of the warriors from Vostroya and Symphony of the Sea who followed Nareth had already been completed, the apothecary facilities on Triken's homeworld still remained. It was the Eleventh Legion's third-largest transformation base.
The other two major transformation sites were the Primarch's flagship Throne of Shadow's Sovereignity and the Void Hunter, where the Chief Apothecary resided.
The Legion's fortress, still under construction, had only just brought some of its modification facilities online, currently serving only Vostroyan recruits.
To surpass the three great augmentation bases would still take time.
As they spoke, the vessel flew over the vast Y-M-81 farm, stretching for kilometers, with corn stalks hissing in the wind.
"My lady, thank you for your guidance. I will become a worthy Doctor and serve the Legion."
Three days later, Marlena boarded a voidship bound for Catachan.
.....
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