In the year 829.M30, the forge world Lucius witnessed the arrival of the Shadow of Order's black fleet.
Savant Wojciech transmitted, in the binary tongue, messages regarding Primarch Nareth, the Imperium, and the Emperor of Mankind.
When Fabricator-General Matthieu-12 learned that Mars had joined the Imperium under the Treaty of Olympus Mons and that several sacred Standard Template Constructs (STCs) had been recovered by the Primarch, he agreed to receive them.
Nareth descended to the planet's surface aboard a Stormbird, accompanied by Arsena Dunn, Wojciech, and several members of his Honor Guard.
Through the viewing port, he saw the colossal letters spelling Lucius, carved by ablation into the planet's crust, each letter stretching for kilometers from top to bottom.
The golden wings upon Nareth's back quivered faintly. He could feel the pulse of the world, the ceaseless beat of its artificial suns.
His gaze shifted toward the landing zone, where serried ranks of Lucian Skitarii stood in formation.
The Stormbird's landing gear deployed, and amid the cooling hiss of retrojets, the Honor Guard formed ranks behind their Primarch.
Servo-skulls draped in ribbons hovered nearby, broadcasting a chorus in binharic High Gothic:
"Lucius greets Primarch Nareth. Welcome to our world."
Through a haze of incense, Nareth strode forward to meet the waiting tech-sages of Lucius.
They wore crimson robes trimmed with black. Nareth knew that this color held deep meaning here. The black symbolized the ritual scars of the Sun's Blessing, when the artificial suns beneath the planet seared the faithful in devotion to the Machine God.
Lucius's tech-priests regarded the blackened mark as divine favor. Only centuries later, after the schism within the Mechanicum ended, would they adopt Mars's pure crimson.
Their heraldry bore ornate variations of the letter L entwined with skulls, the symbol of pure humanity.
Matthieu-12 approached. From his vox-masked helm came a perfectly modulated voice:
"Welcome, Nareth."
"An honor to meet you, Fabricator-General Matthieu-12," Nareth replied.
He entered the waiting transport, a sleek black vehicle that glided forward through the industrial maze.
Across from him sat Matthieu-12.
"Nareth. Lucius is an unending forge. Few worlds beyond Mars can rival its output."
"We produce Lucius-pattern Warhound Recon Titans, the most agile of their class. Our Lucius-pattern Drop Pods boast superior performance, short preparation times, and efficient recovery. Even our Skitarii artillerymen are masterpieces of precision craftsmanship."
Through the windows, Nareth watched vast manufactoria rush past, smokestacks staining the skies a heavy black.
Titanic steel gates never closed, devouring ore, fuel, and what little time remained to mortals.
At the toll of the shift-bell, workers shuffled from their barracks, pale and hollow-eyed, dragging their frail bodies toward the barbed gates.
As they passed overseers, they silently received their daily broth and ration blocks before resuming labor.
With his sight, Nareth saw the wired, half-mechanical laborers welded to their stations, toiling under whip and command.
The hierarchy was absolute; order reigned. Machines roared without pause, and endless weapons of war rolled from the production lines.
Hearing Matthieu-12 boast of Lucius's primary exports so quickly after greeting him, Nareth mused:
'The Fabricator-General desires something from me.'
He smiled faintly. "I have visited the wonders of Mars and the Crown of Graia. Lucius is no less impressive."
Though allied with Stygies VIII and Griffon IV, Nareth had yet to visit those forges.
Recognizing Matthieu's intent, Nareth waited silently.
After weaving through countless foundries, the transport ascended toward the Forge Temple.
On either side of the road, molten furnaces boiled and vented heat; giant turbines roared to cool the path of the guests.
Cargo servitors and hydraulic systems thundered as gears and wheels spun.
The Forge Temple itself resembled a hollowed furnace, its dome formed of interlocking Solarite panels.
Slaves cleared the way amid the rumble of tracks, hissing hydraulics, and the roar of power packs. The great doors of the temple thundered open.
Black-armored Lucian Skitarii lined the grand hall of ceremony, where reflected light from Solarite and braziers made the chamber blaze like day.
In contrast to the brilliance, a long black table and chairs waited. Nareth and Matthieu-12 sat across from each other.
His attendants flanked him, with Wojciech beside them.
Matthieu-12 spoke first.
"Nareth, we welcome your visit. From Magos Wojciech Blyek, I have learned that you have recovered the Ramilies class Starfort and Blyek-pattern Battle Tank STCs."
"Lucius wishes to ally with you, to forge arms for your armies, for the Legio Astorum and Shadow of Order to fight as one.
"My only request: authorize Lucius to produce the Ramilies-class Starfort and Blyek-pattern Battle Tank templates."
Nareth's eyes glinted with understanding.
'As expected, Lucius seeks the STCs'
He recalled that though Lucius was among the oldest and most productive forges, it lacked strong tank designs. The Lucian Magi had spent millennia reconstructing a tank STC, eventually naming it Macharius.
After three more centuries of negotiation, Mars finally granted them permission, only to later license countless worlds to build Baneblade super-heavy tanks, rendering Lucius's triumph somewhat hollow.
'Compared to the future Mechanicus, this era's dealings are far more efficient. Of course, I am a Primarch; bureaucracy bends to me. An ordinary mortal would die long before the authorization process ended, as Commissar Trast did after discovering the STC for the Substance S145XX22.'
That STC produced a paint compound capable of coating combat vehicles within minutes, something Nareth planned to acquire one day, though it was not yet urgent.
He refocused. "Not enough."
"Lucius must supply one-third of its annual Solarite alloy production to Vostroya. In return, I shall authorize the use of the Blyek-pattern Battle Tank template."
"As for the Ramilies-class Starfort, Lucius must offer me a corresponding STC in exchange."
Matthieu-12's logic engines whirred rapidly.
"This unit Fabricator-General Matthieu-12 of Lucius accepts the exchange:
Solarite for the Blyek-pattern Battle Tank STC."
"Lucius will also provide gas-fractionation technology, methods for refining organic materials into Promethium, in exchange for the Ramilies-class Starfort STC."
Nareth nodded. He knew that in the distant future, the Winterscale Dynasty, the greatest of the three Rogue Trader Dynasties of the Koronus Expanse, would wield this same technology to produce Promethium endlessly, fueling both fleets and fortunes.
'Lucius specializes in energy production. It makes sense they would hold such technology.
Still, compared to the three Gloriana-class battleships Mars once traded for a single Ramilies STC, this is far less valuable.'
He finally replied, "Agreed. But Lucius-built Ramilies Starforts must give production priority to my allies and designated recipients."
After only a brief calculation, Matthieu-12 nodded.
"This unit, Fabricator-General Matthieu-12, accepts these terms."
Nareth's juris-servitors and tech-sergeants handled the treaty's formal drafting with the Lucian delegation.
Fifteen stellar days later, Nareth reviewed and approved the alliance documents.
Under the pact, the Legio Astorum would supply eighty-five Titans to fight alongside the Shadow of Order.
'Unlike other forges that keep half their Titan legions in reserve, the Void Walkers will retain only fifty. At the peak of the Great Crusade, their full strength will reach one hundred sixty-two Titans.'
When the Omnissiah's Great Bell tolled twelve times, Nareth and Matthieu-12 signed their names on parchment and data slate alike, sealing the alliance with digital sigils and machine-code brands.
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