Chapter 48: Negotiations
Upon hearing this declaration, the Alpha Legion company commanders present exchanged glances of strange recognition and subtle understanding.
Curze chuckled with sinister amusement. He detected no fear or excessive deference in Omega's tone. An educated assessment formed in his mind.
"Alpharius... you cannot be merely a company commander of the Alpha Legion. Only a Primarch would think and act with such confidence and vision. Am I correct?"
Omega replied with calm assurance, addressing him with natural respect. "Impossible, Lord Curze. You alone here are the true Primarch, the visionary leader of the Night Lords."
"Hmpf," Curze snorted and terminated the communication channel.
He'd witnessed countless criminals and deceivers throughout his upbringing on Nostramo. He possessed a profound understanding of human nature and psychology.
By simply listening to this Alpharius's voice inflection and conversational patterns, Curze recognized that his interlocutor harbored no genuine respect or fear.
The speaker treated him as an intellectual equal, a hidden insult that Curze immediately recognized and filed away.
Based on Omega's methodology, his comprehensive vision, and his temperament, Curze deduced an obvious conclusion: the mysterious Alpha Legion already possessed a genetic Primarch.
Otherwise, they would never have dared establish such extensive organizational networks across so many planets throughout this star system.
Only under a Primarch's strategic guidance would the Alpha Legion risk such ambitious operations.
Curze's intelligence operatives had investigated these planetary organizations thoroughly and reported surprising findings.
All possessed sound political systems and coherent ideological frameworks. No cults, no conspiracies, no hidden corruption, as if someone had deliberately provided sophisticated governmental tools to the civilian populations.
While Curze remained on his flagship, analyzing Omega's behavioral patterns and strategic implications, one of his Night Lords company commanders approached with a tactical proposal.
"Lord Curze, we could infiltrate the Alpha Legion's flagship and identify who you were actually speaking with. We could determine what these mysterious Ghost Legion operatives truly look like!"
Curze shook his head decisively. "No. If the other party were guilty of genuine wrongdoing, I would have no qualms creating problems for them."
"But I have found no concrete evidence of deception or malice. Besides, we are currently benefiting from Forgeworld's logistical services. We will not appear as mere thieves and bandits."
The assembled commanders relaxed upon hearing this. Had they remained on their homeworld of Nostramo, violent action would have commenced immediately. Yet they were Astartes now.
Their conduct standards had evolved, however reluctantly.
While the Night Lords' massive fleet remained docked, unable to fit into available orbital space, Omega issued strategic orders.
The major planets and auxiliary worlds throughout the surrounding star system successively mobilized troop contingents ranging from 300,000 to 500,000 soldiers. The most developed world marshaled one million personnel each. Transport vessels began ferrying these forces toward Sophis Forgeworld.
Some recruits had already arrived at Sophis, while others awaited space docking as Omega gradually displaced the Night Lords' fleet through careful strategic coordination. During this interval, approximately a dozen transport vessels of significant capacity arrived.
These were Storm-class corvettes, each approximately one kilometer in length. They lacked heavy energy weapons but could sustain warp translation. Each vessel could transport over 300,000 personnel for brief operational periods, though it lacked the life-support systems necessary for extended combat deployments.
The arrival of these new recruits delighted Omega.
He immediately ordered troop transfers to the Alpha Legion's warships and initiated comprehensive training regimens focused on weapons proficiency and military discipline.
From his flagship vantage point, Konrad Curze observed this massive logistical operation with growing understanding. "The Alpha Legion is indeed quite impressive."
"Intelligence reports confirmed it. Sophis has established a comprehensive troop transport and recruitment network with surrounding star systems. This explains why Omega arrived here with his fleet."
One of Curze's company commanders remarked, with evident frustration, that it was unfortunate that Sophis could not yet construct medium- and large-scale warships. Such a capability would have transformed it into an ideal platform for supplying resources.
Curze posed a direct question to the Mechanicus sage standing nearby. "Could the Night Lords establish their own forgeworld?"
The mechanical sage paused thoughtfully before responding. "Minimum thirty years would be required, my lord. The Forgeworld project alone demands massive personnel deployments and substantial material resources. Additionally, we would require transportation of extensive supplies and personnel across at least twenty light-years from surrounding subsector regions."
The sage continued grimly. "If local human planetary technological levels remain primitive, procurement becomes extremely difficult. The complete project timeline could extend hundreds of years."
"Sophis Forgeworld survives only because the Alpha Legion has established extensive organizational networks across numerous planets throughout this system, providing continual logistical support. I cannot determine when they initiated this project, but the achievement is remarkable."
Curze dismissed the prospect entirely. "Decades or centuries? Forget about it. Better to have the Imperium construct a forgeworld specifically for the Night Lords' exclusive use."
After the Night Lords' warships completed their repairs and Curze observed the small transport corvettes arriving, he formulated an opportunistic decision.
He ordered his fleet to directly transfer the three million recruits intended for the Alpha Legion into Night Lords auxiliary troop contingents. The confiscated light armor and heavy weapons inventory of millions of soldiers was similarly absorbed into his fleet's logistics.
When the Night Lords' fleet executed its warp jump and departed after one month, Omega remained characteristically silent, though he understood Curze's pragmatic logic perfectly.
After docking at the forgeworld's main starport, the Space Marines demonstrated obvious amusement at the situation.
However, the Imperial Military officers and generals exhibited fury, demanding the recovery of their assigned equipment and recruits. They faced potential combat operations with insufficient material support.
When Sage Julius reestablished communication with Omega, he was clearly embarrassed but recognized the fundamental reality: one could not effectively contest a Primarch's decisions or actions.
Fortunately, the Mark IV power armor inventory allocated to the Alpha Legion had been strategically concealed and preserved during the Night Lords' occupation. Upon learning of this armor upgrade, the Alpha Legion Space Marines responded with genuine enthusiasm, arriving at the surface in rapid succession to receive the superior equipment.
Regarding the Imperial Military forces, sufficient equipment remained to outfit more than five hundred thousand soldiers, while the Mechanicus contingent maintained ample heavy weaponry stocks.
Omega resolved the crisis through direct action.
He ordered the nine other planned major industrial worlds to transmit their reserve light armor and equipment inventories via transport ships.
Upon learning that total recruitable personnel resources exceeded six million, the Imperial Military generals and officers transformed their fury into genuine celebration and enthusiasm.
Later, piloting a gunship in mid-atmosphere above Sophis, Omega observed the planet undergoing massive industrial construction. The landscape resembled a perpetual construction site, with countless massive steel structural frameworks clearly visible.
Sophis was a reddish-yellow desert world, completely waterless with barely breathable atmosphere.
The Mechanicus had selected it primarily for its abundant metallic ore deposits, combined with the fact that cybernetically-modified Tech-Priests could adapt to its harsh environmental conditions through mechanical augmentation.
The constant rumbling of industrial forging echoed across the planet's surface.
The basic foundational skeleton of the forgeworld remained largely complete, with construction crews now focused on detailed component installation and integration. Casting factories are clustered together in massive complexes.
Even at this stage of development, small transport vessel production had commenced.
Upon arriving at the massive steel fortress sprawling several kilometers wide, serving as the forgeworld's administrative headquarters, Omega disembarked alongside Company Commander Skol and several other officers.
The magnificent alloy-constructed interior chamber of the primary administrative tower displayed remarkable aesthetic sophistication.
Several Mechanicus sages were present. Julius and the other senior Tech-Priests offered formal apologies regarding the Night Lords' interference and resource confiscation. Omega indicated such matters required no further discussion.
The two parties reached an agreement.
Sophis would not remain exclusively allocated to the Alpha Legion's use. However, the immediate diplomatic crisis required resolution. The Mechanicus headquarters on Mars and their planetary branch faction needed formal coordination and agreement.
Julius explained the situation personally and requested Omega's direct participation in communicating with Mechanicus headquarters.
The communication would emphasize Sophis's strategic military value to the Alpha Legion while categorically denying any intention to create a schism within the Cult of the Machine.
Omega looked at the magnificent steel fortress structure and asked a direct question. "What are your specific plans regarding Tech-Priest deployment here? This forgeworld is currently operating under direct Emperor observation and maximum scrutiny from the highest Imperial leadership echelons."
Julius visibly tensed upon hearing a direct reference to the Emperor. He remained extremely cautious about making independent decisions of such magnitude.
Sage Prit's mechanical prosthetic eyes rotated rapidly while his heavily augmented mechanical body stepped forward to redirect attention and ask the critical question.
"My lord, what would you advise?"
Omega gazed meaningfully at the three assembled sages and responded calmly. "Secret operations require secret locations and concealment. Our Forgeworld projects inherently attract excessive visibility."
"The Emperor observes, the Astartes Legions observe, the Mechanicus observes. You have no realistic alternative but to permit Mechanicus headquarters personnel to establish operational presence here."
Julius immediately protested. "But this forgeworld required decades of extraordinary effort to construct. We built it specifically for the Alpha Legion's grand strategic plan!"
Omega guided him toward understanding with patience. "We are not asking you to abandon Sophis Forgeworld Julius."
"Rather, accept that Sophis is now analogous to Forgeworld Stygies VIII or other openly acknowledged Imperial facilities. There are no secrets here anymore. Whether Mechanicus headquarters or your faction controls operations, everyone contributes toward the Great Crusade's objectives."
"Do you understand the 'strategic' necessity of such identity?"
After the initial shock, Julius understood the logic of Omega's advice, and the sages exchanged meaningful glances before reluctantly accepting it.
Sophis had become too visible for continued secret operations. Collaborative development with Mechanicus headquarters became the only sustainable path forward.
Despite this concession, Omega continued to make emphatic declarations. The Alpha Legion must retain ultimate controlling authority over Sophis Forgeworld operations, and must secure maximum possible resource allocation and logistical supply quotas for their exclusive use.
"We will cooperate with headquarters," Omega concluded, "but this forgeworld remains fundamentally ours to direct and command."
[End of Chapter]