The 1st month of the 840th year, Vostroya.
As the Throne of Shadow's Sovereignity cruised toward the starport, Nareth stood by the observation window. His gaze pierced the void to rest on the enormous metallic colossus beyond. He turned to Arsena beside him and asked:
"How is the construction of the Ramilies-class starfort progressing?"
"My lord," replied the Primarch's attendant, "the first Ramilies-class star forts built by both Vostroya and Triken have been completed."
"Both were upgraded from Lian's revised construction template, including improvements to fortress-grade energy shield modules."
"The second star fort being built by Cypra Mundi is roughly one-third complete, while those at Triken and Vostroya are about one-fifth and one-tenth done, respectively."
Nareth nodded slightly. The progress of these three construction bases reflected their differing capacities in shipbuilding and void engineering.
Cypra Mundi had surpassed both Triken and Vostroya, becoming one of the Imperium's five greatest shipyards.
Only Mars and the three forge worlds could rival Cypra Mundi in shipbuilding capability.
"My lord, in exchange for the Ramilies-class starfort, Mars has been constructing the Legion's final Gloriana-class battleship. It's expected to be delivered in August by Terra standard time."
Nareth paused in thought. Taking into account the past merits and losses of each legion, especially their sacrifices in the First Rantan War, his decision was clear.
"This ship shall belong to the Third Chapter."
After handling current affairs, Nareth decided to go to the Kingdom of Disorder to notify Bukayo to prepare to receive the ship.
"My lord, the Emperor has called for a new War Council. Your attendance is required tomorrow," Arsena reminded him.
"Also, the Rogue Trader you conferred, Lewis von Valentius, seeks an audience."
Nareth recalled Lewis's earlier report of Fra'al forces massing in the Sidai system, a timely warning that allowed them to launch a counterattack and utterly crush the xeno raiders.
'He might have crucial information.'
"I'll see him at the Legion Fortress."
Once the Throne of Shadow's Sovereignity docked at the Vostroyan starport, Nareth, along with Arsena, Thomas, and Mikael, boarded a Stormbird toward the Legion Fortress.
From ten thousand meters up, one could already see the vast mountain range below. Terraforming technology had reshaped the once-polluted environment devastated by Vostroya's early colonists.
The chemical peaks, industrial sludge, and black, reeking rivers had been cleared away by Vostroyan tech-priests.
White marble filled the gaps, and artificial mountains rose from the ground.
Gentle slopes were now covered in fir trees, while beasts transplanted from other worlds roamed the craggy ridges.
Five winding artificial rivers flowed between the peaks.
Terraforming had restored the local ecosystem, long lost to reckless industrialization millennia ago.
Between the mountains sprawled towers and bunkers, with the muzzles of defense lasers and macro-cannons jutting from their embrasures, enough firepower to annihilate a voidship.
A series of overlapping firing galleries ran along the cliffs, forming deadly interlocking kill zones.
At the mountain's heart stood the grand Legion Fortress, encircled by towering ramparts. Its armored glass dome opened wide to welcome its master.
Atop the battlements stood citadel bastions; massive flying buttresses wrapped the inner walls, their surfaces lined with thousands of gleaming windows.
Black banners fluttered in the wind, the Legion's emblem etched upon them, invisible to ordinary men but crystal clear to the superhuman eyes of the Shadows of Order.
The Stormbird passed over the walls, revealing layered terraces and broad cultivated fields below.
Crystal rivers crisscrossed the farmland like a spider's web, lending a rare softness to the fortress's grim majesty.
The fields and rivers would sustain the garrison in both peace and siege.
Unlike other Legions' symmetrical bastions or palatial citadels, this black Legion Fortress was utterly unique.
From above, the main tower appeared as a slanted, conical spire, tilted at a forty-four-degree angle into the planet's crust.
Surrounding it were irregular thirty-three-sided structures, and around them, eleven spiraling secondary towers of uneven form.
The passages connecting the main tower to its eleven satellites twisted and curved like chaotic sketches, complex and nearly indecipherable.
The entire fortress, including its walls, rivaled a hive city in size; its tallest spire reached as high as a hive spire's summit.
The craft slowed between the towers and landed atop a hexagonal platform jutting from one of the upper spires.
Waiting there was Vinsue-HL-19, who eagerly stepped forward:
["Lord Nareth// this unit requests you accept this asset// your Legion Fortress."]
The Magos felt that completing this construction had nearly exhausted him; most of his mechanical parts now required replacement.
His logic and graphic engines had malfunctioned repeatedly due to the structure's asymmetry, and system errors were a constant companion throughout the project.
Frequent malfunctions had greatly prolonged the construction timeline.
By Vostroya's industrial standards, the project should have finished sooner, yet it was delayed by six years and 212 work cycles.
Building a Legion Fortress for a Primarch was meant to be Vinsue-HL-19's highest honor.
Now, he only wished to leave quickly, undergo memory purging, and forget every detail of this cursed structure.
The twelve Magi behind him shared that same eager look.
Catching their anticipation, Nareth mused briefly.
"As the builder of this Legion Fortress, you should introduce it to me."
["Of course."] Vinsue-HL-19's logic engine glitched again; his mechadendrites twitched as he conducted rapid field repairs.
A synthesized voice hummed from beneath his mask.
["This structure displays deliberate asymmetry// a labyrinthine network of non-uniform corridors throughout."]
Rather than a Legion Fortress, I would call it a Labyrinth of Shadows. Its underground sections mirror the surface in scale."
"Though it offends my sense of design, it remains a miracle of architecture, combining the functions of a palace, fortress, and Astartes garrison."
Nareth followed the Magos through columns on either side, ascending black marble stairs and crossing polished obsidian floors, passing through massive, uneven doors of dark metal.
Vinsue-HL-19 continued:
["The main spire and its eleven sub-towers are linked by winding corridors."]
["As per your directive// internal sections remain unassigned// awaiting the great Shadow of Order to designate them as libararians, forges, armories, apothecaries, archives, or vaults as needed."]
An hour later, Nareth nodded approvingly.
"Magos, I am satisfied. I accept this fortress. Thank you for your efforts."
The Primarch's praise sent waves of joyous code through the Magos and his fellows.
["It has been my honor,"] Vinsue-HL-19 said before hastily departing with his team.
As soon as they boarded the transport craft, he commanded, ["Initiate memory purge protocol// prepare full replacement components."]
Nareth then returned to the central hall and sat upon his black throne, thirty-three swords thrust into its back like a crown of blades.
His attendant smiled and said, "My lord, perhaps you should grant it a name."
Nareth thought of how the eleven sub-towers stood beneath the shadow of the main spire, their underground levels reflecting that same darkness.
"Shadowhold."
"Order the Legion's techmarines to install the fortress-grade energy shield for Shadowhold, and assign personnel to its upkeep."
"As you command, my lord."
The Primarch turned to the Chief Apothecary. "Are the Legion's gene-seed reserves sufficient?"
Though Nareth believed the Apothecaries no longer needed to draw his own genetic material to sustain growth, he remained prepared if necessary.
'As long as I drink more potions to replenish the lost beyonder traits, it should suffice, though digestion will take longer.'
'Since I can't be sure which potion sequence the inheritance follows, I must consume all four types before assimilation.'
'Beyonder beings above Sequence 4 could freely control whether and how much of their traits were inherited.'
'Those at Sequences 6 and 5 would naturally pass on part of their gifts.'
'Accordingly, whatever traits aren't inherited remain within me, slightly enhancing my beyonder powers.'
'However, such boosts mean little at lower or mid-level Sequences. Unless necessary, there's no need to drink another potion.'
.....
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