War Preparations

A thousand Manrosan youths arrived in the southern hemisphere aboard Transport Aircraft to take part in a selection that might shape their destinies.

Jenos lay atop a mountain overlooking the entire selection grounds, clutching a sniper rifle.

The selection grounds were a primeval forest filled with fierce beasts Jenos had to keep watch over.

"This damned world called Manros is really strange."

Before the selection began, Jenos used binoculars to examine every natural ecosystem within sight.

A hive world actually had forests.

Jenos himself came from a hive world. In his memory, everything beyond the hives was covered in highly toxic industrial waste and poisonous fumes. Over countless millennia, pollution discharged by hive industries had accumulated until it destroyed the entire planet's ecosystem.

But Manros was different.

The northern continent, where the hives stood, had a terrible environment. It was the standard wilderness of a hive world—toxic waste, poisonous gases, and horrifying mutant creatures whose genes had been altered by chemical elements.

Yet as harsh as the northern continent was, the southern continent across the sea was just as beautiful.

Even in the ocean... when Jenos had flown in aboard the Transport Aircraft, he had seen a clear dividing line in the middle of the sea. On one side was seawater polluted into an inky green; on the other was sapphire-blue water like a gemstone.

After Ragefang conducted an in-depth scan of Manros, it discovered that the landmass of the southern continent and the lifeforms in its surrounding ocean generally possessed the ability to purify pollution.

"The selection has begun," Kao said.

Hearing his battle-brother's voice over the communications channel, Jenos immediately stopped observing the ecosystem and fixed his scope on the thousand youths.

The youths had been divided into groups and led deep into the primeval forest by ten Fierce Angels.

They did not need to travel far or engage in wilderness survival, because the Fierce Angels had already captured the "trials" alive and placed them in designated locations to await them.

Jenos watched as the first group of one hundred entered the forest and arrived at a basin, where a five-meter-tall gorilla slept soundly.

A Space Marine fired a Bolter into the gorilla's back to wake it, then drove the youths, mostly between fourteen and sixteen years old, into the pit.

The youths were generally thrown into panic.

Some quickly shook off their fear and began evading the beast's attacks. Some stood frozen where they were. Others—the most gifted—even drew the longswords they had carried before setting out and tried to slash at the beast.

Whenever the beast attacked and was about to truly kill someone, Jenos fired, blasting apart one of its arms or another limb.

After several shots, the beast collapsed and died.

The youths could never have killed it. Jenos had been the one to kill it.

But their performances had already been recorded by the Fierce Angels guiding them.

This selection was not meant to choose the strongest fighters, nor was it truly intended for the youths to kill the beasts. It was meant to observe each person's reactions and select those suited to becoming Fierce Angels.

As the groups of one hundred headed for the locations containing beasts, Jenos's workload grew somewhat heavier.

But this most versatile of warriors handled it with ease. Keeping watch over everyone across different locations at once was child's play for him.

When the selection ended, not a single person had died.

"Manrosan culture has a martial tradition. Their performance was fairly good. Twenty-two meet our requirements."

Kao announced the results over the communications channel.

"Is that strict enough?" Jenos asked. "Don't be like the Space Wolves when they held selections on my homeworld and accept people who throw others into a beast's jaws so they can win."

"The Space Wolves? Why would they recruit on a planet beyond their Chapter homeworld?"

"Anyway, it was a Chapter with a wolf insignia. They called themselves a successor Chapter of the Space Wolves."

"Then they were definitely frauds. The sons of Leman Russ never recruit from other planets."

Kao ordered the selected candidates loaded onto the Transport Aircraft and taken aboard Ragefang for augmentation.

They were not the strongest or most skilled fighters among everyone present, but they were certainly the ones who best embodied the traditional creed of the Fierce Angels: showing concern and care for others.

And this tradition of selecting recruits did not arise entirely from the Chapter's creed. In truth, the main reason was that the first-generation Apothecaries had discovered that psychological traits affected a person's compatibility with the Fierce Angels' Gene-seed.

The Transport Aircraft carrying the recruits rose into the sky.

Jenos set down his sniper rifle and looked up.

He calculated that if the augmentations went smoothly, these twenty-two recruits could complete the process before the war arrived and take part in it directly.

Several days later.

A fleet that had burst out from within the Maelstrom arrived in the Manros system.

Amanius, Huron's envoy, descended upon Manros and learned about the recent situation at the governor's residence.

"So you really swallowed Vengar's people."

Amanius said this from the other side of the conference table.

Lu Jin understood what he meant. Huron had known all along... presumably that legendary Daemon adviser had told Huron.

"He has no objections. At this critical juncture, all he cares about is whether his strategy can be carried out." On Huron's behalf, Amanius overlooked Lu Jin's actions.

What he did not say was that Huron thought Lu Jin had some real ability. It sufficiently proved that Lu Jin had the qualifications and capability to balance Vengar in the future.

However, Huron did not believe Lu Jin had suddenly become a genius of governance. He believed Lu Jin was fundamentally much like Huron had been when he first entered the Maelstrom—relying on a small but exceptionally cohesive inner circle to influence and control a vast mass of disorganized people.

"But I must warn you." Amanius changed tack. "Do not kill Vengar."

Lu Jin slowly nodded.

"Originally, my engineering fleet would have established defenses after Vengar razed Manros's surface to the ground. But since you have already conquered Manros... this is naturally better. We can build our defenses around the locals."

"The engineering fleet will establish surface defenses, and a military production line will also be deployed on this planet to manufacture tanks."

"Resources will also be invested in Manros."

Amanius spoke slowly.

"What Huron wants is for Manros to be held."

Lu Jin also intended to defend Manros, so he had no objection. He merely began calculating how much support the production line could offer their defenses when he heard that a military production line would be deployed on Manros.

"According to the prophecy, Manros will be attacked by two Chapters and hundreds of thousands of Astra Militarum troops one solar cycle from now."

"The reason is that Warp storms ravage every route leading into the Maelstrom except the one through Manros."

As Amanius spoke, he fiddled with his arm twice. Then a strategic star map projected from a miniature device on his vambrace.

Outside the entire southern edge of the Maelstrom lay war zones marked out by the Red Corsairs.

The worlds within those war zones all had connections with the Red Corsairs. Their relationship with the Maelstrom was not like that of Cadia and the Eye of Terror. Rather, it was a relationship between a chaotic region capable of generating profits and those trying to extract profits from it.

Put simply, most Imperial worlds within the war zones were former Manroses.

Otherwise, Huron's goal of draining Imperial military strength outside the Maelstrom would have been impossible to achieve. The Planetary Defense Forces of those Imperial worlds alone would have been enough to give him a serious headache.

"Lastly."

Amanius rose to his feet.

"I hope you understand that the Fierce Angels are members of the Red Corsairs. I know you may have special feelings for Manros, but it is ultimately not a Red Corsair world within the Maelstrom."

"If you do not want Manros to become a strategic focal point, then get on your knees and pray. Pray that the Warp storms disperse before the enemy arrives."

"If the storms covering the other routes disperse, only then will Manros cease to be a strategic focal point."

Hearing this, Lu Jin gave a cold laugh. "What are the Red Corsairs, some Space Marine Legion from ten thousand years ago? What could make me or the other nominal members of the Red Corsairs consider ourselves Red Corsairs?"

Amanius did not find the words offensive. Instead, he reflected on himself and felt he had said something stupid.

What he had actually meant was: abandon Manros if it must be abandoned. Do not waste your life stubbornly holding on. I know perfectly well that from every perspective, including military technology and military engineering, you have no chance of holding Manros. Unless the Warp storms disperse and Manros loses its status as a strategic focal point.

As a Forge Master, an artisan among Space Marines, Amanius was always poor at expressing himself.

After the Forge Master left, Lu Jin recalled the strategic star map he had just seen.

Since Manros was a strategic focal point, Huron should logically have committed immense manpower and war resources to it.

But he had not.

Instead, massive troop deployments and resources had been invested in a system named Krima at the beginning of the "storm-free route" to which the Manros system belonged, as well as in the system where that route met the Maelstrom—effectively a system behind Manros.

It was difficult not to interpret that as Huron acting deliberately.

That night.

Lu Jin convened a war council.

The commanders of the Rebel Army that controlled Manros, every Fierce Angel Space Marine except Jenos, and those among Vengar's followers deemed to possess strategic and tactical talent all gathered in the Audience Hall of the governor's residence.

Only one matter was discussed—how to defend Manros.

"Amanius's people have already begun constructing fortresses on the surface and building a defensive command center around the hives."

"Yet that is a mistake born of ingrained thinking. We only have four hundred troops on Manros in total. If several Chapters attack us together, those fortresses will be little more than paper mâché."

Vengar was the one speaking.

He sat in a wheelchair, discussing the war with great seriousness.

The apostate was a practical man. He knew very well that he had no way to leave Manros anymore, so he might as well consider how to survive on Manros.

At the same time, he regretted not bringing more people along on the so-called "armor-seeking operation."

Then, at least, they would have nearly a thousand people to face the Imperials together before the war began.

"Manrosans can become part of the defense too!" a Mortal commander said.

"Everyone can treat whatever the Mortal says as bullshit," Vengar said.

After a brief silence.

Lu Jin asked the Mortal, "Does Manros have many ancient underground cities? I remember someone mentioning them to me before..."

"Yes, Lord of Retribution." The Mortal saluted. "But those are barracks. When the World Eaters controlled Manros ten thousand years ago, they built a great many barracks. They are enormous, located over a thousand meters underground, and can house large numbers of people. When geological disasters struck Manros centuries ago, we survived the disaster period by sheltering in those ancient barracks."

Lu Jin nodded. After careful thought, he addressed the others. "I am not skilled in strategy or tactics. I will only propose a basic plan. That plan is to move all Manrosans from the hives into the ancient barracks, along with the industrial production lines, resources... and the tank production line Amanius is giving us."

Kao immediately considered what needed to be done under that plan. "I'll have Amanius build the fortresses above the underground barracks."

Lu Jin nodded, then looked at the others, signaling that they could begin discussing strategy and tactics.

"I am curious about one thing," Vengar said. "How will you ensure that those who are not Fierce Angels, myself included, honestly do their part in the war?"

"We will ensure it!"

A deep shout rang through the Audience Hall.

A squad of Space Marines in crimson armor, adorned with numerous skull decorations, strode into the hall.

These late arrivals were the Blood God Cultists who had previously entered Ragefang because of Lu Jin's reputation.

More than two hundred of them.

The squad leader, who was also the Blood God Cultist leader Lu Jin had appointed earlier, said, "Anyone who does not pull their weight, we slaughter them! If the Mortal does not pull their weight, we slaughter the Mortal. If your people do not pull their weight, we slaughter all of you!"

"Huh?" Vengar was stunned. "You really came here because of this guy's reputation?"

He had previously thought these people were unaffiliated warband warriors Huron had assigned to Lu Jin. All that business about titles and reputations had seemed like nothing but a pretext.

But it turned out...

"Ah ha!" the squad leader laughed. "We are the Fierce Angels' military police!"