968.M30.
Serpents Cradle.
Before the viewport of the destroyer Eye of Vostroya, Arkhan Land stared at the third planet passing between the twin stars.
Arkhan held a datapad, his stylus tracing line after line.
He had not rested for eleven days and nights. But three months prior, he had been blessed by the divine and become a perpetual. So, despite lacking any mechanical augmentation, he felt no fatigue.
Ever since his discoveries on Mars of several STCs bearing his own name, Land, his life had been consumed by demands on his time.
It had taken Arkhan decades to slip free from the attention of various factions and reach Lord Nareth's domain, the Kalium Gate.
Upon arriving at the Serpents Cradle, he was immediately blessed by Lord Nareth, the avatar of the Omnissiah, and became a perpetual.
Arkhan then, following the commands of the Omnissiah, began observing the system. His task was to identify a new astronomical phenomenon.
He looked up at the view screen, images from the augur array capturing the void, and the Augury Matrix mapping the surface, flashing past.
This data came not only from the destroyer beneath his feet but from sixteen warships, including the Shadow's Sovereignty.
Suddenly, Arkhan's eyes lit up. His stylus flew across the screen.
[When the third planet passes between Alpha Serpentis and Beta Serpentis, at an angle of 3.3 degrees to the line connecting the twin stars, the light from the two stars interferes.]
[At surface coordinates NB 5-69 27-04, the area simultaneously irradiated by both stars lost light for 8.7 seconds.]
[At coordinates HN 2-94 37-64, light was lost for 7.1 seconds.]
[...]
Arkhan quickly finished recording, then hurried to his quarters, knelt before the black onyx altar, and began his prayer.
"Black Emperor of the Shadow of Order,"
"..."
As Arkhan began the second recitation, black mist rose from nowhere, enveloping him.
"My Lord." Arkhan bowed respectfully, then quickly reported.
"Following Your command, while observing the Serpents Cradle, I have discovered a new astronomical phenomenon..."
Nareth, high upon his throne, listened to Arkhan's report. With a thought, he instructed the space ape in the first layer to use the telescope obtained during a visit to the Grand Observatory on Terra to concoct the Sequence 5 "Astronomer" potion.
The advancement ritual for "Astronomer" was as he remembered: discover and name a star or an astronomical phenomenon.
The Shadows of Order Forge Lord, Rosicky Czechk, and Marshall of Ordnance, Gabriel.
Among the Tech-Priests: Archmagos Lian Ramilies, Magos Wojciech Blyek, the Legion's Chief Logistician; and Tech-Priest Malevolus, the Armor Master.
Anacharis Scoria, who had recently ascended to Archmagos on the Forge World of Xana.
Whether by discovering a star or an astronomical phenomenon, they had all completed their advancement rituals and become "Astronomers."
All the stars in the Serpents Cradle had been discovered, but the system was not yet fully charted.
As expected, Arkhan had identified a new phenomenon.
"...I have named this astronomical phenomenon, where the light of two stars converges yet the area falls into darkness, the Binary Shadow-Eclipse."
As he finished, a flask of potion reflecting a dreamlike starfield appeared before him.
"Drink it!"
Arkhan, following the Omnissiah's command, took the potion and drank.
As the potion slid down his throat, mysterious patterns filled his vision. Stars flickered in his mind.
His consciousness was immersed among the brilliant stars, spinning with their orbits.
After an unknown time, the voice of "Majesty" boomed.
"Chart the Binary Shadow-Eclipse you discovered."
Arkhan instinctively obeyed the Omnissiah's divine command. His consciousness focused, driving the stars to align with the configuration of the Serpents Cradle.
As he charted the Binary Shadow-Eclipse phenomenon, his scattered thoughts slowly returned.
The newly elevated "Astronomer" knelt. "I thank You for this gift. I shall put the power You have bestowed to good use."
Nareth nodded slightly. "Familiarize yourself with your power."
The black mist churned, swallowing Arkhan and returning him to the real world. Nareth then stepped into the third layer.
He reached out and picked up the Dice of Prophecy.
"Tzeentch is certainly meddling."
"The cooldown time has increased again. From nine years to ten."
After this exclamation, his mind raced, thinking with increasing caution.
At a rate of one divination every ten years, including this one, he had four divinations left.
Nareth had already planned three of them: The Olamic Quietude, which the Wolves would conquer, as in his memory.
The Ark Reach Cluster, conquered jointly by the Thousand Sons, Space Wolves, and Word Bearers.
The last potion material he had yet to acquire, the Khrave source.
Nareth turned the Dice of Prophecy. "We just fought the Aeldari craftworld eight years ago. More importantly, Arkhan is here."
"This time, I will divine the Olamic Quietude."
He recalled that the 3rd Great Company of the Space Wolves had responded to the request of the commander of the 40th Expedition Fleet and destroyed the Olamic Quietude.
Before the Heresy the Space Wolves numbered between ninety-five and one hundred thousand. Counting their losses in the Olamic Quietude, the Ark Reach Cluster, the Battle of Beta-Garmon, and other battles, the 3rd Great Company's deployed strength likely did not exceed ten thousand.
Having decided, he gathered his thoughts. Information about the Olamic Quietude flashed through his mind.
'Fifteen thousand years ago, Terran colonists crossed the galaxy, reaching its edge, and established the Olamic Quietude.'
'The homeworld of the Olamic Quietude is a striking, orange-yellow planet. All its significant locations are covered in thick ice.'
'The Olamic Quietude's technology is highly advanced, but differs markedly from the technological standards of Terra and Mars.'
'...'
The Olamic Quietude, unlike Orios or "Terra," had been founded before the rise of the Martian Mechanicum. Its technology did not rely on STC templates.
After the known information about the Olamic Quietude passed through his mind, he silently intoned:
'The star chart from the Kalium Gate to the homeworld of theOlamic Quietude.'
'...'
After intoning it eleven times, he tossed the Dice of Prophecy.
The triangular prism tumbled through the air several times. As it fell into Nareth's open palm, a vision like a holographic projection unfolded before him.
"It's been a long time since a divination went this smoothly."
Nareth allowed himself a moment of satisfaction, then memorized the star chart and transferred it to a data crystal.
"The Olamic Quietude has existed for fifteen thousand years. That's over eleven hundred, which meets the advancement requirement for 'Mentor of Disorder.'"
"Who to choose?"
"I should select from those 'Barons of Corruption' who would be inconvenient during the conquest of the Ark Reach Cluster Zadkiel and Luther..."
He stepped back into the fourth layer.
Taking his seat, Nareth extended his spirituality, touching the glowing orb of Zadkiel, Chapter Master of the Feather-Quil Scions among the Word Bearers.
"My Lord." Zadkiel bowed respectfully.
He had returned to the Fidelitas Lex with his weak-willed father.
His father, abandoned by the false god, refused to see anyone but First Captain Kor Phaeron and Chief Chaplain Erebus.
It was a long time before Zadkiel rejoined the Legion.
Zadkiel despised his weak father and grew ever more steadfast in his faith in the True Gods.
"Lorgar visited a world called Cadia a year ago. I do not know what happened there."
"But three Word Bearers, Deumos, Licus, and Shale Kuri, and..."
Some disgust crept into his tone. "Custodes Vendatha died there as well."
"All four were killed in a riot."
"That is not the truth. It is merely Lorgar's explanation to the Custodes." Nareth's tone was flat, devoid of emotion.
"A blood sacrifice was performed on Cadia. Vendatha tried to stop it."
"He killed the three Word Bearers. In the end, he was killed by the only Word Bearer he considered a friend, Ekket Tarr."
"Vendatha was the tenth sacrifice, the final one."
"I thank my Lord for this revelation." Zadkiel, thoughtful, began to understand the changes in Lorgar and the Legion.
"Lorgar recently convened a gathering of captains and chaplains. He declared that he had received the truth."
"He spoke to us of the enlightenment of the human race. He told us of the existence of the Gods..."
He looked with awe at the majestic figure deep within the black mist. "The Four Gods and the Emperor are all false gods."
"Lorgar denounced the Emperor's secular vision as a lie. He will tear it all down."
"The Word Bearers will no longer build false perfect cities for the Emperor. They..." Zadkiel stressed his own distinction.
"The Word Bearers' focus has shifted to spreading worship of the four false gods."
"They are recruiting new warriors, developing mortal followers, establishing Chaos cults."
Nareth had expected this. Calculating the timeline, he knew Lorgar had completed his pilgrimage and was taking on the role of High Priest that the Four had given him.
"I see."
With a thought, a gleaming data crystal appeared before Zadkiel.
"You will depart immediately for the region of the Olamic Quietude. Study the data crystal en route and devise a plan to disrupt the Olamic Quietude's order."
Zadkiel accepted the data crystal with both hands. "Your will be done."
Nareth returned Zadkiel to the real world, then extended his spirituality, deploying elements of the 2nd and Tenth Chapters to the Olamic Quietude.
He also summoned Anacharis Scoria, now an Archmagos of Xana.
Nareth recalled that when the Olamic Quietude encountered the Imperium of Man, they had captured humans from the Imperium and found fifteen thousand differences.
In reality, however, it was the humans of the Olamic Quietude who had diverged.
From birth, they received implants, connecting themselves to the societal network.
As they aged, their organic components were gradually replaced. Only the brain, spinal cord, and skull remained.
For this reason, Nareth had no intention of using peaceful compliance with the Olamic Quietude.
....
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