Operation Drought

"Are you sure? There are followers of Tzeentch and Khorne?"

Peter was a little skeptical. After all, the main continent showed no signs of corruption.

Filon answered with righteous conviction, thumping his chest:

"Brother, we spent long enough in the daemon world back in the day. You think we can't recognize Chaos Cultists?"

As he spoke, Filon took out some herbs.

"Those cultists chew on these, too. I had the Apothecary study them. They all have stimulant and hallucinogenic effects."

Peter had indeed worried that Filon might have been mistaken—that these supposed Chaos worshippers were merely locals who chewed hallucinogenic herbs and practiced primitive ancestor worship and totemism. After all, the different continents on the same planet had been apart for hundreds, even thousands, of years. How could the degree of Chaos corruption differ so greatly between them?

Fine. He was willing to trust Filon.

"All right, gather all the brothers. We're going to take a look. Oh, and bring that new Magos Yamila along."

Ten hours later, at the center of a forest clearing stood a village of tents. The bonfire still burned, but more than a hundred corpses lay sprawled on the ground beside it. Most were barely recognizable. Nineteen battle-brothers stood guard.

The Apothecary Dioscorides and Magos Yamila were examining the bodies, and were close to reaching a conclusion.

The Apothecary Dioscorides said:

"They may not look too badly affected from the outside, but they've undergone moderate internal mutation. Their bodies have been warped by Warp energy, and show signs of Khorne's blessing."

Magos Yamila replied in a sharp yet slightly husky voice:

"Fifth random sample. The samples span five regions across the continent. We can conclude that most of the humans on this continent have been corrupted by Khorne and Tzeentch."

Peter walked over to them and spoke up:

"From what you're saying, the people on this continent are useless to us? They can't do industrial work or form a disciplined army. Leaving them alive would be a menace."

Magos Yamila replied:

"Incorrect. Denied. Moderate mutation is acceptable. They can still be turned into Servitors and remain useful. Some Tzeentch cultists are wild sorcerers, which makes them even more valuable."

Peter looked at the Magos. He knew she didn't understand how difficult it would be to capture them, so he explained:

"That's true, Magos. If they gathered together and attacked us, it wouldn't be a problem. We could just take our nets and capture as many as we wanted. But we don't have time to run all over the continent catching them. There are about a million people on this continent, and most settlements only have a few hundred or a thousand. My brothers and I can't spend our time capturing primitive tribes a few hundred at a time."

Magos Yamila said:

"Incorrect. Denied. There is a dynasty on the continent. Its technology is primitive, but it follows a Quetzalcoatl-Tzeentch faith and has built small Pyramids. More than a hundred thousand people live in the capital and surrounding areas. There are also ties between the northern tribes of Khorne's Blood Hand Butcher, numbering around seventy thousand."

Anthony, standing nearby, was less than polite. He shrugged indifferently and cut in:

"You mean those two primitive tribes, just with a few more people. If we charge in, they'll scatter. Instead of chasing after such a trifling gain, we might as well sweep the whole continent with a few orbital Lances."

Magos Yamila's shoulders shook as she spoke:

"These are the only two places where we can capture a large number of slaves. In theory, the cost would be 40% lower than obtaining them from other sectors."

Faced with an opportunity that was hardly worth taking but too good to pass up, Peter carefully considered his options. Should they scour the continent with Lances? But this was their Homeworld, and these Chaos Cultists weren't really much of a threat. The problem was that they'd be difficult to wipe out completely; there was no need to ruin the Homeworld's environment.

Besides, this continent might not be as large as the main one, but its soil was fertile, its forests lush, and its plains vast. It could become excellent farmland and had great potential for development. He couldn't bring himself to destroy it with Lances.

"Magos Yamila, how long would it take to build a Weather Control System that covered this continent?"

Yamila didn't understand why he was asking.

"According to the plans, the Weather Control System is scheduled for construction in seven years."

"Can you expedite it?"

Magos Yamila stood motionless, apparently making calculations. Peter didn't rush her.

"Confirmed. If we suspend the other work, we can begin building the Weather Control System for this continent ahead of schedule. Estimated completion time: 2.4 years."

"Good."

Peter nodded in approval, then immediately called over the internal comms:

"Wonaby, Filon, you two come over as well."

The two men whose names he'd called came over to join them. All the commanders present gathered around their lord.

"Here's my strategy. These two continents have coexisted peacefully for all these years. And now that we're monitoring them, the chance of anything going wrong will only be lower."

"The Dark Mechanicus will prioritize building a Weather Control System for this continent. The moment it's finished, we'll begin the operation."

"We'll gradually reduce the rainfall, starting at the edges and working inward, like a circle steadily tightening. The locals on the outskirts will be forced to gather toward the center. Along the way, the old, weak, sick, and disabled will be weeded out."

"Over the course of one or two years, we'll control the water supply and gradually drive them into the center. By then, only the able-bodied will remain, and most of the higher-ups, like the sorcerers, should survive until the end as well."

"Then we can pick and choose whom to capture in a small area. Anyone who tries to leave will die of thirst, and anyone who tries to return will run into our slave nets."

"Once we've captured the raw materials for Servitors and the Psykers, we can even let this place remain barren for a few years, gently wiping out its local ecosystem. Then, once the rains return, we can plant whatever we want."

Wonaby considered this for a moment before replying:

"It's a perfect plan. Apart from taking too long, it has few drawbacks. In any other place, this kind of strategy would be unacceptable. The Weather Control System could be destroyed, aircraft could leave the continent, and Astropaths could call for help."

"But under the current circumstances, it's perfect. This continent has no deserts and plenty of rain, and no one has a habit of storing water. It's almost impossible for Chaos Cultists to survive a prolonged drought. The slaves and Psykers we capture will also bring in revenue, and we won't have used chemicals to poison the soil. The land will simply be short of water."

Wonaby praised the strategy, and the others agreed. Just like that, the plan was easily finalized and named "Operation Drought."

The more than one million people and countless creatures on the continent had no idea that their fate had just been decided so casually by a handful of people in an unknown little settlement.

With the strategy settled, the group boarded their aircraft and returned to the main continent. After all, they now had Gene-seed. They had to get started as soon as possible on the most important task for every Space Marine force, whether a Legion, Chapter, or War Band.

Recruitment.