Warhammer: The 11th Primarch - The Black Emperor

Aboard the transport ship, Wojciech Bielek turned to remind Nareth:

"My lord, you must name your new flagship."

"Afterward, we must report it to the Imperial Fleet."

Nareth looked up from the data slate. After a brief moment of thought, he replied:

"The relic-class ship's advantage is its range. Let us call it Void Hunter."

"Like a hunter, it will deliver lethal, precise strikes to enemy vessels."

"Void Hunter," Wojciech repeated, then nodded. "A fitting name."

Nareth noticed a flicker of hesitation in Wojciech's eyes.

"You've got something else to say. Go ahead, speak freely."

Wojciech's gaze firmed immediately.

"My king, I wish to undergo Astartes transformation."

"Why?"

"Only after receiving the power you granted me did I realize… the world isn't made up of simple 0s and 1s, like the servants of the Omnissiah claimed."

There was a spark in Wojciech's eyes, his voice filled with longing.

"I wish to uncover its secrets. I've heard that becoming an Astartes grants not only strength but also longevity. With that time, I can serve you better and pursue the truth."

Nareth considered that even Astartes legions need Techmarines, and agreed.

"Very well," he said after a pause.

"The shipyard project will be turned over to Rosicky."

"Once you've been transformed, you'll travel to the Cult Mechanicum for Techmarine training."

"Though their knowledge is incomplete, it is still worth learning."

"As you command, my king."

Wojciech smiled brightly.

Nareth turned his gaze to the massive Void Hunter, far larger than the Final Sycthe, a colossal beast drifting through the void.

Shortly after, he arrived at the docking bay and received a report from Howard.

"My lord, fourteen regiments have successfully boarded. Five more are currently in transit."

"Do you wish to designate an order for the transformation process?"

Earlier, on the transport ship, Nareth had reviewed the Eleventh Legion's personnel files and had already devised a plan.

There were currently 23 full-fledged Apothecaries and 10 trainees in the legion.

"All regiment commanders and Wojciech go first. Then, the first squad of each regiment, followed by the rest in order."

The earlier the better, especially for the extraordinary leaders.

Howard glanced at Wojciech beside him and silently guessed what this meant.

"Understood, my lord."

After Howard departed, Nareth contacted Mikael, the Legion's Chief Apothecary, to confirm the location of the medical facilities.

Soon, he was face-to-face with Mikael and the other Apothecaries, their eyes ablaze with zeal.

"Father, we used to watch the Luna Wolves grow rapidly. Now it's finally our turn—"

He caught himself before saying Reapers out of habit, and corrected:

"We, the Shadow of Order."

"Would you like an anesthetic? The extraction won't hurt much, but it could make the process more comfortable."

As he spoke, Mikael raised his left arm.

Mikael raised his left arm. Unlike standard Imperial medicae kits, an Apothecary's medical gear was integrated into his power armor, a complex system affixed to the left arm.

Nareth noticed the syringe in his hand was filled with a gray liquid.

Mikael explained proudly:

"This is my custom anesthetic, derived from the lantern grass of Sevastien, a feral world.One drop can bring down a horse."

"When operating on our brothers, I adjust the dosage to temporarily numb their enhanced physiology."

Looking up at his gene-father, he hesitated.

"Perhaps it can give you a brief moment without pain."

"Unnecessary," Nareth declined.

He hated the feeling of losing control over his body, even for a second.

"Begin."

Immediately, they moved to remove the upper part of his armor, and Nareth lay down on the custom operating table.

"Father, we're beginning."

With Nareth's nod, Mikael gave the signal.

The Apothecaries raised their left arms and activated the special extractors, piercing the flesh of their gene-father.

Nareth only felt a slight itch, like a mosquito bite.

He frowned slightly, his thoughts drifting.

'Beyonder individuals of Sequences 9, 8, and 7 do not pass on their traits. Those of Sequences 6 and 5 can partially pass them down. High-sequence individuals can choose whether, and how much, to pass on. That's part of what defines the Sequences. Gene extraction falls under this framework, so I won't pass on my beyonder traits to my gene-sons.'

Mikael's voice brought him back:

"Father, we've finished."

Nareth redonned his armor and gave instructions:

"Ensure the survival of all undergoing surgery. If anything abnormal happens, stop immediately."

"Understood, Father."

The Apothecaries bowed, and Nareth turned to leave.

On the bridge, he saw Rosicky had already arrived and was coordinating with Wojciech on the shipyard transition.

They both bowed respectfully when they saw him.

After a moment's thought, Nareth said:

"We'll build the shipyard on Gray Ash, Vostroya's satellite, just as Wojciech suggested."

"The plan is sound. Rosicky, follow his design exactly."

After confirming Rosicky's loyalty, Nareth had begun training him as a 'Savant'.

"Rest assured, my monarch. I will give it everything I have and not disappoint you."

Nareth's eyes gleamed slightly.

"When I play with moonstones from Gray Ash, I can feel the pressure on my mind lift."

Rosicky understood immediately.

"My king, before construction begins, I'll find every moonstone on Gray Ash and offer them to you."

Nareth left them to continue their work and walked to the command throne, where he sat down.

'Vostroya is my stronghold. It must be garrisoned. And new recruits must be drawn from its children.'

He recalled his meetings with various officers.

The one he left behind couldn't be someone cruel like Cezak, that would only plunge his homeworld into chaos.

After some thought, he settled on a candidate:

Captain Thomas of the 9th Company, a gene-son who had inherited his father's psychic abilities.

He sent a message. Soon, Thomas arrived.

Looking into his bright eyes, Nareth spoke:

"Thomas, will you remain on Vostroya to select promising children?"

"Father, I will stay. Though it means forfeiting the honor of fighting by your side, I will do what you require."

Thomas didn't hesitate.

"Good." Nareth nodded in satisfaction. "You will have your chance to stand with me in battle."

"But for now, you alone are suited for this task. I entrust our homeworld to you."

Thomas glowed with joy, like being bathed in sunlight.

"As you will it, my father."

Nareth spent five days discussing details with Thomas, recruitment criteria, planning, and implementation.

Soon after, he received a report: the officers had repainted their armor as ordered.

He decided it was time to depart.

A message was sent to Horus. The reply came swiftly, warm and booming:

"Nareth, my brother! Come aboard, we must talk."

...

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

[email protected]/DaoistJinzu