"The local Yellow Clad Academy on Aventinium is likely a branch of the Cognitae."
Pell heard the Vostroyan term spoken by the Black Emperor, finding it very unfamiliar.
"Cognitae?"
"The Cognitae originated in ancient times on Terra. They attempted to build Chaos-channeling towers. It was destroyed by the Emperor leading armies."
Nareth, mindful of Enuncia plots, cautiously didn't mention Ollanius Persson.
Persson operated under his own name within the Auxilia. He believed besides his friend the Emperor and individuals like John Grammaticus, no one remembered his name.
Though unlikely, if Pell encountered Persson, alerting him might affect Nareth's plans.
Nareth would only tell Pell necessary knowledge. The Primarch transmitted knowledge about Chaos to Pell via thought-pulse.
"The Imperial Truth propagated by the Emperor conceals the fact that life exists within the Warp."
"Warp entities are born from the thoughts, dream, and emotion of every pscychily attuned sentient beings in the material realm."
"Among them, the most powerful entities are called the Chaos Gods. They are known by those like the Thousand Sons who discovered them as the Primordial Annihilators…"
Pell's pupils dilated sharply. He exclaimed in astonishment: "So the Imperial Truth is entirely a lie…"
After learning of the Black Emperor's existence, Pell no longer believed in the Imperial Truth. But he hadn't imagined gods also existed in the Warp.
As he pondered, Nareth spoke again:
"The Cognitae's current goal is to use Chaos power to liberate humanity from what they see as Imperial dogma's oppression."
"The Cognitae operates a network of academies, training disciples to advance their Chaos agenda by combining psychic power, eugenics, and noetic. Each 'graduate' is highly intelligent and dangerous."
As Nareth spoke, Zygmunt Molotch flashed through his mind, he schemed to make himself a virtual god.
Legendary Inquisitor, Alpha-plus-grade psyker, Gideon Ravenor, interrupted him at the ritual's critical moment.
'Cognitae members on Aventinium won't have Molotch's ability but must still be dealt with.'
"The Yellow Clad Academy is likely a Cognitae branch. To swiftly pacify Aventinium, they must be found."
"The Mitu developed devices to detect psykers among various species. I shall bestow them upon you. Use them well to find cult members hidden among the populace."
Although Legion beyonder development had entered its second phase, with Chapters forming cores of main pathway beyonders paired with other pathway beyonder…
The Eleventh Chapter had fifty-two "Sheriffs." But they couldn't cover all hive Academy and needed time to familiarize themselves with jurisdictions.
For swift eradication of Yellow Clad Academy members, Mitu psychic detection devices were more effective.
"My Lord, with Mitu psychic devices, I shall uproot the Yellow Clad Academy completely." Pell said.
"Beware Enuncia. It is a powerful force." Nareth cautioned.
"If encountering enemies using language affecting reality's structure, you must kill them immeaditely."
"My Lord, I understand." Hearing the Black Emperor's warning, Pell replied gravely.
Black mist swallowed Pell. Regaining his senses, he stood upon the altar.
Pell devoutly clasped his hands inverted, praying to the Black Emperor.
Moments later, wind generated from nothing on the altar. Items of various sizes flew from the opening intangible gate.
One Terran hour later, Eleventh Chapter drop pods rained upon Aventinium.
First Captain Gibbs, leading his command squad, landed in the second-largest hive.
Gibbs leapt from the drop pod, surveying his surroundings.
Chaos greeted him: burning buildings, screaming residents fleeing everywhere.
Gibbs issued orders: "Detect. Confirm targets."
A squad member held a torso-sized disc, the largest model among Mitu psychic detection devices.
The squad member pressed the activation button at the disc's center hard. Runes flashed on surrounding screens, then fully lit.
Trained, he knew the center represented him, changing with his movement.
On the green screen, he saw a flashing red dot.
Determining direction, he spoke in the squad comms channel: "Four o'clock direction. One target."
"Move out." Gibbs ordered.
As a "Barbarian," clad in Saturnine Terminator prototype, Gibbs strode forward, faster than a squad in Cataphractii Terminators.
Command squad members advanced toward four o'clock. The squad member holding the Mitu device, through repeatedly comparing advance distance, confirmed the distance between circular dotted lines on the instrument was 1.5 kilometers.
The squad advanced directly toward the target, direction naturally becoming twelve o'clock. Seeing the target beyond two rings, he immediately reported via comms.
"Three kilometers. Target stationary."
"Continue advance," Gibbs ordered. "Prepare to engage."
Shadows of Order raised their boltguns. Under the "Bard's" singing, they strode forward.
Hundreds of rebels raised firearms, unleashing dense barrages at the black-armored warriors from all sides.
Autoguns chattered, bullets struck black armor, then deflected.
Cyclone missiles on five Cataphractii Terminators' shoulders aimed at rebels in strongpoints.
Fire-trailing missiles struck the densest rebel concentrations.
BOOM! ROAR!
Amid explosions, buildings were hurled aside. Dozens of rebels were torn apart by shockwaves.
Through the roaring boltguns, "Hunters" and "Warriors" drew power swords, charging remaining rebels.
Gibbs led the squad breaching rebel lines, advancing toward the target.
One kilometer from the target, he locked onto a Yellow Clad Academy member in a yellow robe.
The figure held a gun in one hand, a staff in the other.
The Saturnine prototype's reactor roared. Auto-targeting locked onto the Yellow Clad Academy member. The plasma blastgun thundered, firing at the enemy.
A superheated beam struck the Yellow Clad Academy psyker. His robes instantly shredded. His body ignited in orange flames.
Amid explosions, his right shoulder and large part of his chest vanished.
The Yellow Clad Academy psyker raised his staff high. A torrent of flames descended from above.
Burning orange flames rained down on squad members like hail.
Several squad members were struck by, a series of orange fireballs.
He quickly activated his personal energy shield. Dazzling light enveloped his form.
The Cataphractii Terminator swayed.
Seeing the attack ineffective, the psyker's eyes flashed with piercing white light, concentrating attacks on one black-armored warrior.
Dozens of orange fireballs struck the energy shield.
Facing over a dozen fireballs' detonations, the shimmering personal energy shield shattered.
Remaining fireballs engulfed the black armor.
Cataphractii Terminator armor rapidly melted in orange flames. The Shadow of Order was instantly incinerated to a skeleton, scattering on the ground.
Gibbs strode forward. He raised his right arm. The heavy volkite gun fired a continuous barrage at the Yellow Clad Academy psyker.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The psyker was struck by projectiles, hurled back repeatedly.
Each explosion stripped large chunks of flesh from him.
In moments, his body was charred black.
The psyker abandoned attacking other black-armored warriors. His staff aimed at the towering giant.
Orange flames rained upon Gibbs like hail. Before striking the heavy black armor, they detonated in bursts.
Orange fireballs were blocked by the Saturnine prototype's conversion field. The "Barbarian's" steps didn't halt. He howled.
A thunderclap echoed in the psyker's mind. He dropped his staff, clutching his head, emitting painful groans.
Gibbs reached the psyker. His left arm swung the energized blade, striking the enemy.
The disruption field flashed, tearing the psyker apart.
At the same time, the primary hive.
A tall figure in a yellow robe, his face hidden under a hood, only his eye's stellar light illuminating the surroundings.
"I have lost twenty-three students."
"How is this possible? How could outsiders locate them so swiftly?"
"My meticulous schemes have failed…"
The yellow figure slid as if bodiless. "I must hide, await opportunity."
He moved through the crowd, heading outside the hive.
The yellow figure walked leisurely. Where he passed, the bizarre figure drew no attention, as if he didn't exist.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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