Nareth carefully observed the spiritual radiance emanating from the Siren's Dust, thinking to himself.
'It seems like potion material at Sequence 5 level. For the "Hermit" pathway's "Astrologer," or the "Door" pathway's "Traveler"?'
'Mortal scavengers lose interest in everything else once they touch it. What about an Astartes?'
Nareth then entered the second layer of the Thelema mindstate, extending his consciousness into the void.
His consciousness spanned over a thousand kilometers, reaching the center of the glass sphere.
Ethereal murmurs arose. The surrounding swirling smoke billowed like sirens, singing seductive songs.
The sound was unlike anything in the material world, directly singing within consciousness.
Nareth felt an invisible force enticing him to touch the soft grey substance.
He judged that the Siren's Dust's threat was less than he anticipated, but he maintained the second layer, not falling to the first.
His consciousness swept slowly, effortlessly over the soft grey substance.
Within moments, he had scanned over a hundred kilometers of it. Combining this with what he knew of its formation, he thought:
'It should be a special substance generated when matter and fuel pass through the warp gate into the Warp.'
'Astartes with strong willpower can resist this substance's intrusion.'
'For Shadows it may slightly affect those who have mastered the first layer of Thelema, less so the second layer, and hardly at all the third.'
Nareth withdrew his consciousness and instructed Arsena Dunn: "Have Ramsey come see me."
"As you command, my Lord."
Nareth shifted his gaze from the spiritually glowing Siren's Dust to the more physically conspicuous objects in the void.
On the routes from the Elysian Gate to Uranus and its twenty-seven moons, numerous orbital fortresses densely clustered.
Like those around Pluto and the Khthonic Gate, and most orbital fortresses, each was as large as a battlecruiser, three kilometers wide.
Embedded with numerous cannons and void shield generators, capturing each fortress required an entire battle group and would cost many ships.
But compared to the Ramilies-class starfortre, these fortresses were like children before a giant.
Even a Gloriana-class battleship seemed like an attendant flanking a king before a Ramilies-class fortress.
As Nareth pondered, Arsena elevated to the second layer of Enumeration, sending him a thought-pulse.
Though not a telepathic psyker specialized in this area, elevated by Magnus's second layer, he could transmit information over short distances.
"My Lord, during recent spare time, I reviewed materials about the warp gates. The legends are fascinating and also make me feel contradictory."
"In the ancient Age of Strife, something emerged from within. In the memories of Uranus's settlers, it's a story about Star Vampires and Men of Iron."
"To guard the warp gate, the original colonists built fortresses here, manned by warriors guarding the gate. These sites were called Eyes of the Old Gods."
The "Detective", combined with knowledge the Black Emperor had shared, keenly sensed the contradiction.
"If Star Vampires refer to C'tan... well, timing-wise, it couldn't be complete C'tan."
"When humanity settled Uranus, most C'tan should have been imprisoned by the Necrons. Likely escaped C'tan shards."
"But assuming they were C'tan shards, their emergence from the warp gate is highly contradictory."
The "Detective" expressed his reasoning covertly, feeling a dissolving sensation within.
"You told us the C'tan are gods of the material realm. Warp gates are portals to the Warp. They shouldn't emerge from within."
Nareth stood with hands clasped behind his back, not turning. He responded with a thought-pulse.
"What is your conclusion?"
As a master of deduction, the Detective, combining known information about C'tan, warp gates, and Men of Iron, sent another thought-pulse conveying his meaning.
"It should be escaped C'tan shards that consumed many star systems before reaching the warp gate."
"At that time, humanity dispatched Iron Men armies to intercept, preventing them from approaching Uranus and its settlements."
"The final battle happened to erupt near the warp gate. The Siren's Dust here might originate from the C'tan's effect on the Elysian Gate. Due to the distant time, it was mistakenly recorded as Star Vampires emerging from the gate."
The Detective found facts supporting his conclusion from memory.
"According to records, the Khthonic Gate is constantly under guard. While other parts of the Solar System gradually fell into the darkness of the Age of Strife, they maintained vigilance."
"Your reasoning might be fact." The Primarch's thought-pulse made the Detective feel as if coffee were boiling within him.
"But another possibility exists." Another thought-pulse caused the boiling to rapidly cool.
"The Burning One, Nyadra'zatha, once revealed to the Necrons a method to use Dolmen Gates to enter the Webway, aiming to bring its terrible flames into the Webway."
"A C'tan shard invading the warp gate, emerging from the Elysian Gate, is not impossible."
"But the Siren's Dust generated when void ships enter the warp gate here should originate from the C'tan shard's effect on the gate and surrounding space."
Nareth's acknowledgment made the Detective's inner boiling resume.
"Its displayed power suggests a Transcendent C'tan, similar in strength to the one at the Ymga Monolith."
The "Detective's" inner boiling gradually subsided. Having experienced this twice before, Arsena thought to himself.
'As a "Detective," one must keep knowledge secret, reporting only to necessary individuals.'
'For me, that's only the Black Emperor.'
As a "Detective," I engage in deduction. Combined with keeping knowledge secret and acquiring new knowledge, I've mastered most of the power the Black Emperor bestowed.'
As the Arsena pondered, Librarian Ramsey approached them from behind.
"Father, you summoned me."
Nareth turned, looking at Ramsey, issuing cautious orders.
"You shall lead Shadows of Order who have at least mastered the second layer of the Thelema mindtate aboard a transport ship to acquire Siren's Dust for me."
"Remember, only those mastering the third layer may directly touch it. Those with the second layer handle other tasks."
Nareth transmitted the ritual method and site preparation requirements to the "Mystery Pryer" via thought-pulse.
Compared to the initial ritual process he devised, refined by specialists like Arsena and Thomas, the process was more elaborate and solemn.
Nareth attached a message in the thought-pulse: "Perform the ritual and offer it to me."
In Ramsey's mind, information about the Black Emperor, rituals, etc., flashed rapidly. His superhuman brain briefly adapted, then received all information.
His pupils dilated sharply. He thought to himself.
'The Black Emperor!'
'Whether it's Father, Gene-Primarch, or the Black Emperor, my loyalty is to only one.'
Ramsey bowed and said: "As you command, my Lord."
After leaving the bridge, Ramsey, with the Primarch's authorization, assembled an extraction team.
Five Librarians. One hundred and forty-two Honour Guard members from various Chapters.
All Librarians mastered the third layer of the Thelema mindstate. Among the Honour Guard, one hundred and three also mastered the third layer.
Ramsey led the selected members aboard a transport ship dispatched by the Primarch Attendant, heading into the void.
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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