Fortress Monastery

At last, all 112 Neophytes had gathered. Led by Wonaby, they headed for the Fortress Monastery, which the War Band was still building.

The group was filthy and starving. Many were injured, and their wounds had already become infected. In silence, they followed Captain Wonaby into the Neophyte barracks hall.

But one man stood out from the crowd: a burly fellow carrying a great axe. He looked as strong as a bear, with brown stubble on his face and a chest bared to reveal a handspan of thick hair. There was no way he looked under fifteen. Plenty of people would believe he was thirty.

Walking among the group, he chatted and laughed with the friend beside him:

"Back then, I swung my axe and split that guy's head right open. Trying to steal our ship was practically suicide."

The comrade beside him scoffed:

"Enough, Randolph. I've heard it so many times my ears are numb. You've been telling that story since we left the shore, and now we've landed on the island and you're still at it."

Fortunately, the Angel soon interrupted them. Wonaby, who had led them there, addressed the group:

"You'll be living here for a long time. You need proper treatment and rest if you hope to endure the modifications ahead. There are plenty of rooms around the hall, so choose freely. You may keep your weapons, but anyone who kills another candidate will be disqualified and turned into a Servitor."

With that, he left the boys to find their own way around the barracks.

If all went as expected, the Apothecary would screen the boys in half a month. Those most compatible with the Gene-seed would proceed to surgery, while the next-best candidates would serve as reserves. Those who were wholly unsuitable would become War Band thralls, serving them as ordinary humans for the rest of their lives.

Meanwhile, in the open space outside the Fortress Monastery, Peter spread out the parchment blueprints and studied the fortress's structure and divisions with Filon.

The plan divided the monastery into several main areas.

Meditation Chamber: Since the War Band followed neither Chaos nor the Emperor, the chamber would not be used for prayer. It would simply provide a quiet place where the warriors could use meditation to compose themselves.

Disciplinary Chamber: Any brother who broke the rules would be punished here, with penalties including confinement and flogging. They were a military organization, after all, and a measure of discipline was necessary.

Private Quarters: Private sleeping chambers for each brother. Usually, only Astartes, Auxiliary Army officers, Astropaths, and other senior members could have a room of their own.

Communal Dormitories: Living and sleeping quarters for thralls, mortal guards, and technicians.

Reception Hall: A room for receiving important visitors, usually representatives of the Dark Mechanicus, Rogue Traders, other War Bands, or Legions.

Guest Rooms: Accommodations prepared for important visitors.

Forge: A place to produce and repair weapons and equipment, managed by the Voidsmith and Tech Sergeants. There was little difference between the two, except that Voidsmiths had learned how to bind daemons.

Weapon Depot: An underground complex for storing weapons and ammunition, usually located not far from the forge. It had a comprehensive defense system and, as an armory, could usually be opened only by senior members of the War Band.

Apothecarion: A combination of hospital, research center, and biochemical laboratory, managed by the Apothecary. It was also where Astartes underwent their transformations, and where the Gene-seed was stored under the Apothecaries' protection.

Airfield and Hangars: Facilities for parking and storing aircraft.

Assembly Hall: A venue for large meetings and War Band feasts.

Dining Hall: Including the kitchen, storerooms, and other facilities, it handled the brothers' meals, with a separate area for feeding mortals.

Briefing Room: Used for private meetings, teaching, briefings, and small gatherings.

Cultivation Rooms: Used to grow and raise the plants or animals needed by the War Band.

Dungeon: A place to hold ordinary prisoners. It also included an anti-psychic area for holding witches and even Librarians.

Witch's Ritual Chamber: The War Band's witches had this private domain, where they explored the mysteries of Warp energy. It would usually be located well away from the main structure to keep the monastery safe. Although the War Band had no Psykers at present, Peter had decided to build it in advance, just in case.

Archives: A place where the brothers could look up information, and the Neophytes' main place of study. Vast quantities of tactical, alien, equipment, and historical battle records were stored here on parchment and data-slates for the battle-brothers to study.

Training Grounds: Facilities for training in unarmed combat, melee, and marksmanship, with the Fighting Cage located here. There were also simulators for piloting fighters and vehicles. Neophytes would not be allowed to handle the real things until they passed their training.

Neophyte Barracks: Connected to the training grounds—or, rather, the two were one and the same. The Neophytes would live in communal dormitories rather than private rooms. They would train, eat, and study together until they donned Power Armour, at which point they would earn rooms of their own.

Teleportarium: A facility for teleportation. Because of its instability, the brothers would usually use it only in emergencies.

Tomb: The final resting place of the War Band's brothers, and where the living could remember them. The Neophytes would also visit and learn about the battles fought by those who came before. Even if a brother's body could not be recovered, a symbolic sarcophagus would still be made for him.

Defenses: Made up of defensive weapons such as Laser Cannons and anti-aircraft guns, supported by a large number of detection sensors. They were intended to defend against enemies attacking from the sky, the ground, or even space. Of course, the monastery's most powerful defense was the Astartes stationed within it.

Filon had previously surveyed most of the planet and found several possible sites for the War Band's Fortress Monastery. The terrain needed to be stable, the site had to be suitable for aircraft to take off and land, and it had to be easy to defend but difficult to attack. Transporting supplies also needed to be reasonably convenient.

Filon had previously suggested choosing a continent in the Arctic, where it stayed frozen year-round and only a few animals roamed. Another option was to designate an area of the main continent as a restricted military zone.

In the end, Peter decided to keep a certain distance from ordinary humans and preserve the Astartes' mystique by building the Fortress Monastery on a huge island.

The Dark Mechanicus began dispatching equipment and resources to build the Fortress Monastery at a slow pace. Once the basic facilities were complete, construction came to a halt. The War Band did not have many brothers yet, so the basics were enough for now, and the Dark Mechanicus had other uses for its production capacity.

Looking at the blueprints, Filon said:

"Boss, no wonder you helped the Primarch build the Iron Cage back in the day. You know it all, don't you? I can't spot a single flaw in these plans."

Peter simply replied:

"Back then, I was only a squad leader with seven or eight men under me. I just followed orders and helped build it. Designing it was never my job."

There was one thing Peter did not mention, though. He had felt at ease while designing the Fortress Monastery, as if he genuinely enjoyed it. His feelings were completely different from when he had helped build the Iron Cage.

Filon laughed heartily:

"And those training plans for the Neophytes and tactical manuals, too. I remember you didn't help train Neophytes back then, Boss. How do you know so much?"

Peter raised his eyes, looking somewhat exasperated, but decided to satisfy his brother's curiosity:

"You want to know?"

"Of course."

Peter silently pulled a book from behind his Power Pack. It was a brown leather-bound volume, with the words Codex Astartes written across it in gold-embossed High Gothic.

The air fell silent. Filon stared blankly at him:

"What's going on here?"

Peter simply shoved the book into Filon's hands and said:

"It was written by a Primarch, after all. You can ignore the parts about Chapter organization and the duties of Chaplains—they're bullshit. When you have time, just read it as a military manual. It's actually somewhat useful."

Filon scratched his bald head, unsure what to say, and could only change the subject:

"By the way, Boss. There are still some people drifting out at sea. They might never make it to land. Should we go rescue them?"

Without looking up, Peter replied:

"Leave them alone. They can rely on themselves. If we help them survive, the others will think the trials aren't very likely to end in failure—or that someone will save them even if they do fail."

"Better to let them die now than make them an example that encourages more weak-willed people to take the trials later. Their deaths now will save more people who come after them."