As Marlena made her way toward the Catachan system, in the Wheel of Fire system, fourth Planet, Outpost One,
Just as Nareth was about to storm the outpost, a vision suddenly flashed through his mind. It came from "Monster" John.
He saw an ork, taller than most by several gretchin stacked high, his legs encased in hydraulic rigs.
The beast rode atop a bizarre trukk.
Instead of conventional weapons, the vehicle was fitted with a strange catapult connected to the hydraulics.
With a sharp hiss and a shrill screech, the ork launched himself into the air, feet-first, as if to kick his prey to death.
The vision vanished. Nareth thought deeply, interpreting what John foresaw:
A warboss who reveled in stomping foes with his feet, planning an ambush.
Most warbosses sought out meks to build them lightning claws or massive suits of armor.
But there were always those orks with their own "unique" ideas, so long as it felt WAAAGH! enough, they'd carve their own path.
As these thoughts flickered, Nareth charged into the greenskin camp. His power fist fitted with a bloter, thundered as he fired and struck, while his senses stayed alert.
The roar of engines cut through the chaos. A hulking figure launched skyward.
Warboss Tayla the Crippler burst from his rig, hurling himself at Nareth feet-first.
Ever since he'd spent most of his fortune having a mek build this roaring contraption, he had shattered the legs of hundreds of rival warbosses.
The snap of breaking bones always drew the approving laughter of Gork and Mork in his mind.
The sheer force of the launch brought him before Nareth in a heartbeat.
The Crippler grinned wide, tusks glinting, his maw stretched open.
"WAAAGH!"
Already in his head, he heard phantom cracks of snapping bones.
But that illusion was destroyed by cold reality.
He froze, stunned, as the black-armored warrior swung his blade. Blue-white light flared dazzlingly.
Crackling psychic energy shredded his legs, annihilating the hydraulics that encased them.
For the first time, the Crippler understood the agony of all those bosses he had crippled.
Roaring, he swung his massive choppa with his right arm.
Nareth slipped aside and drove Sword of Vaul into the warboss's skull.
The death of the battle-proven champion of countless ork brawls sent the rival mobs into chaos.
When the ground war ended, Arsenna stepped up beside Nareth.
"My lord, the Forge Lord has received word, the Graian Crown is expected to arrive in five solar days."
Nareth returned to the Throne of Shadow's Sovereignity, leaving mop-up to the 4th and 11th Chapter, and to Hannibal and his 2nd Legion.
Hannibal's warriors struck like starved predators, tearing into the orks relentlessly.
Satisfied, Nareth entrusted more outposts to the 2nd Legion, then withdrew to negotiate with his attendants and the Forge Master aboard his flagship.
The Forge Lord soon reported:
"Father, the Jokaero force field emitter has been successfully developed."
"I've studied the sacred template for fortress-class void shields. I now command the techniques to build shields vast enough to cover entire hive cities."
Nareth nodded and told Rosicky.
"Once negotiations with Graia are concluded, depart at once. Install portals across seven star systems and erect fortress-class void shields in their hive cities."
"By your will."
Then Arsenna, silver-haired, presented a data slate.
"My lord, the Triken system's shipyards have now surpassed Vostroya's. They can produce one standardized capital ship per year."
"Triken II through V each have mining bases and forges already established. They can manufacture everything from lasguns to armored vehicles."
The attendant read further:
"Triken Prime hosts fifteen major forges. Beyond the standard, the standout feature is the Telavar tribe's workshops."
"The Telavar have built ten vast forges on the prime world and twenty-three smaller ones across the other four. They've brought many Dark Age technologies. Their craftsmen once crafted for the Custodes, and now they pledge their craft to the 11th Legion."
Nareth inclined his head.
"Excellent. Have them first equip the court's priests. Then work down through the Legion by rank."
The attendant noted this, then continued:
"Triken Prime also boasts great herds of dinosaurs bred by the Exodites. They can serve as meatstock, or be trained as mounts."
"Establish ranches. Breed them," Nareth ordered.
Arsena recorded, then continued:
"Triken II holds eleven large and twenty small forges. Its rich iron and limestone veins make it perfect for plasteel."
"Thus, most factories refine materials for power armor and auxiliary troop gear."
The Mk II Crusade Armor used ceramite-plasteel composite plating.
Plasteel, born of the Dark Age, was a synthetic hybrid: as workable as plastic, yet with tensile strength to rival steel alloys. It had become the Imperium's most widely used forging material.
"Triken III hosts ten large and eighteen small forges. There, a Exodite crystal mine was uncovered. These psionic cultivation crystals are under study by Legion techmarines and scholars."
"Combined with our current Aeldar tech, projections suggest marked improvements to ranger-pattern lasrifles."
Nareth nodded, intrigued.
The crystals differed from those of the Crystal Mirage, making research more difficult. Twice his forces had faced Aeldar, yet no Bonesingers or Path of the Artisan have been captured, meaning that warriors' knowledge of their weapons remained limited.
"Tiken IV experiences frequent volcanic activity and is the world with the fewest foundries in the system, with only five large and eleven small forges."
"But for that very reason, the factories built there can harness geothermal energy, drastically reducing the energy consumption of smelting and forging."
"Additionally, across the surface of Tiken IV grows a type of root-nodule plant that thrives along near-surface lava flows, living off the ambient thermal radiation."
Arsena explained while manipulating a data slate, projecting a hololithic image.
"This plant anchors deeply into the ground, and when pulled out recklessly, it emits a piercing scream."
"It has been named mandrake by the Apothecaries. It has remarkable properties in resisting warp-borne psychic erosion, alleviating the tinnitus and headaches of voidship crews."
"It also produces reproductive spore-mists that spread across the surface."
Nareth gave a slight nod. In his memory, another world bore a plant with similar traits and effects, also named mandrake by its discoverers.
'So it's no coincidence they share the name. Both scream when uprooted, and thus they were called mandrake.'
'If this is the same mandrake I recall, the Navigator Houses once purchased it in bulk, it should be useful to psykers as well.'
After pondering briefly, Nareth concluded that this mandrake could likely be refined into ritual oils, and so he spoke:
"Send some samples of the mandrake separately to the Savants and the Apothecaries for further study."
The attendant recorded the Primarch's order and continued his report.
"Tiken V currently has eight large foundries and twelve small ones, with one additional large forge and three small forges still under construction."
"We have also discovered a type of black crystalline material there. It can be woven into ornate fabrics which, when worn in twilight or darkness, emit a soft inner glow that nearly mesmerizes observers."
"The Exodites of Tiken V use this crystalline material to weave silk-like garments, carrying a distinct xenos aesthetic. Preliminary assessments suggest that their beauty and effect would be especially prized by nobles and highborn ladies."
Nareth smiled and nodded, remarking:
"The Tiken System truly is a land of treasures. The Aeldar's craft and their skill at reshaping the world never fail to impress."
Five solar days later, the Graian Crown arrived in the Wheel of Fire System.
.....
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