Guilliman, I wasn't trying to steal your dad

When Nimrod emerged from the underground cave and returned to the Shadow of the Throne, the Xenos raiding fleet had already been repelled.

He examined the reports on the Data Slate and found that the Xenos warship was generally streamlined.

Compared to Imperium warships, the biggest difference is that all warships have serrated bows, resembling sharks with their jaws wide open.

Based on readings from other ships, the group can be identified as Sahar-Duin.

How did the Sahar-Duin end up in Veridian?

Just as Nimrod was wondering what was going on, his Communication Bead beeped. After he received the message, the voice of the Vox Master rang out.

"My lord, we have received news from the Ninth Chapter that they are pursuing the Sahar-Duin and are about to reach Veridian."

Two sidereal hours later, Nimrod met Company Commander Jorginho, Think Tank Nicholas, and Auxiliary Army Commander Mateus Cicarius on the bridge.

When Sicarius first met Lord Nimrod, he Shock at the giant before him.

Despite the Primarch's retraction, Sicarius was still able to conclude from the Warrior's perspective that Lord Nimrod was perfect.

Becoming the Shadow of Order grants superhuman strength.

Unfortunately, I'm past the optimal age for the reconstructive surgery, and the risks are too high.

Moreover, the Sicarius family has just become the ruling family of Thalassa, and they cannot afford to lose me.

Sicarius could only place his hopes on his offspring, hoping that one of his descendants would become Shadow of Order and gain the extraordinary ability to control water.

Images of the Storm Lord and the First Company Captain commander manipulating water flashed through his mind.

After Jorginho bowed, he began his report.

"My lord, after repelling the Sahar-Duin's raid on Thalassa, the Ninth Chapter, as per your command, is searching for Sahar-Duin territory."

"We discovered two Sahar-Duin star systems and launched an attack on them."

"After suffering major defeats in several boarding and landing operations, the Sahar-Duin realized that we were targeting their weakness—the water tanks on their backs—and began to avoid direct combat."

Jorginho walked to the strategic table, connected with the Cogitator, and a star map unfolded before Nimrod, covering numerous star systems from Thalassa to Veridian.

Jorginho operated the Cogitator, highlighting a red shark shape, which was used to mark the fleet of the Space Sharks- men— the Sahar-Duin.

"The Sahar-Duin's fleet was dispersed into hundreds of fleets of varying sizes, ranging from large fleets with dozens or hundreds of ships to small fleets with just a few ships."

"They operated like pirates, employing guerrilla warfare."

"They will harass the worlds they pass through, plundering their resources to replenish their own; the harassment of Veridian is one such example."

Nimrod nodded slightly, thinking to himself.

[Yes, the Sahar-Duin, being powerful Xenos, fought the Space Wolves for quite some time, I remember.]

Although he was at odds with Leman Russ, he would not underestimate the Space Wolves's keen insight.

It is certain that after fighting the Sahar-Duin for some time, the Space Wolves will also discover the Xenos' weaknesses.

The Sahar-Duin persisted for some time is enough to show that they are not so easily defeated.

Moreover, he remembered that although the Sahar-Duin had lost control of several star systems, they had not perished, and small groups of them still existed even after the Great Rift unfolded.

As Nimrod pondered, Jorginho piloted the Logis-Engine, highlighting the blue ship-shaped markings—the color of the ocean, used by the Ninth Chapter to mark their fleet.

"After ensuring the necessary defenses of the Talassar System, the Storm Lord deployed 12,000 Shadow of Order, 50,000 Thalassa Auxilia, and 318 warships."

"To annihilate the Sahar-Duin fleet, the warships were organized into nineteen squadrons, each centered around a battleship."

"Each fleet has two to four cruisers as claws; once they bite into the Sahar-Duin ships, the capital ships will launch an attack along with the other warships."

"How's it going?" Nimrod Lu asked.

"Relying on Astropathic Communication, our fleet has a greater advantage than the Xenos, allowing us to destroy over two hundred Sahar-Duin warships."

"But the fleet cannot cover the entire area, and the fishing nets used to hunt the Sahar-Duin still have loopholes."

Nimrod issued the order, "The fleets of the First Chapter and 7th Legion, join the hunt for the Sahar-Duin."

More than 800 warships joined the hunt, Sahar-Duin found their space for maneuver was shrinking.

Meanwhile, the star map of the entire region became clearer and clearer with countless voyages.

Nimrod was surprised to find that he had received a great gift.

The First Company First Chapter discovered a new star system containing two human-inhabited planets.

The planet Ganyun and its satellite Ganz.

Upon seeing Ganz, Nimrod immediately realized that Ganyun might not be the name he remembered.

After carefully examining the report submitted by First Company Captain Dickson, he discovered that Ganz was exploring a world colonized by the Adeptus Mechanicus, and on a scale only slightly smaller Incaladion.

Thousands of years ago, Craftworld colony of the Adeptus Mechanicus arrived at Ganz and discovered that the area was rich in mineral resources. They then established a base on this satellite and began to develop.

Mars has received the message and has dispatched a representative to Ganz.

After reading the report, Nimrod confirmed that Ganz's primary star, in his memory, should be called Konor.

A complex smile played on his lips as he thought to himself.

Guilliman, I didn't mean to steal your dad...

Hmm... I didn't mean to steal the planet you named after your adoptive father, Konor Guilliman.

Of the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar, Nimrod only desired the Thalassa and Veridian star systems. In the upcoming divination, his target was not the Ultramar Sector.

After his reflections, he returned to the core of Konor's story.

Nimrod knew that Konor was one of the most important worlds in the future Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar, alongside Macragge, Armatura, Ex.

He is one of the Four Tetrarchs of Ultramar, the territory of the Champions of the North, and also a quasi -Forge World, with Calth being the main shipbuilding center.

The reason why Konor, which is destined to be Forge World, did not receive this honor is due to political factors.

Mars believes that Konor is subject to the rule of Ultramar rather than the Adeptus Mechanicus, just like Triken and the future Judang Star, because once he seizes control, he will no longer be the Forge World.

This is why relations between different factions of Tech-Priest on Konor are very tense.

Ironically, during the Battle of Calth, some factions believed they should side with Horus, which delayed Konor, the "Father," from sending reinforcements to aid the Ultramarines were struggling against the Word Bearers.

After a period of factional infighting, Konor finally sent reinforcements.

After the Great Birthday Celebration, Konor was reclassified as a complete Forge World, but was later downgraded to a research station at some point.

It wasn't until Guilliman's rebirth and Ultramar's reorganization that Konor once again became the core of the northern region of the new Ultramar.

This is different from Incaladion, which was controlled by Nimrod, and Mezoa, which was bound to the Chariot. Both of these Forge World were established before the "Great Crusade" and their overall strength exceeded that of Konor.

Konor is just beginning to grow; its future scale will only be second-tier in the Forge World.

Nimrod put down the Data Slate, walked to the viewing window, and looked towards Ultramar.

Guilliman, your two shipyards, Calth and Konor, originally belong to me.

However, I believe you can discover even more of the world and find a replacement for Konor.

Just as you find Protoss as the territory of the western champions, you will also find the territory of the northern champions.

The 9th Sun month of 846.

After more than a year of hunting, the Sahar-Duin's fleet was decimated, and several fleets fled in disarray, only to be trapped in an unknown star system.

The 7th Legion initiated a boarding maneuver against the Xenos warship, and the direct confrontation that the Sahar-Duin had been avoiding finally arrived.

7th Company Sanda, after rushing into the Sahar-Duin's warship, was surprised to find that the water tanks that the Xenos relied on for survival were gone.