Nested Rings Were Something the Imperium Could Not Do Without

Before long, Galien's face appeared on the communications screen. "Chapter Master, what did you need me for?"

Huron's face was stern. "I received a revelation from the Emperor. We will receive the Emperor's protection. Retrieve a Gene-seed and its corresponding augmentation organs, then select a Chapter Serf with low genetic compatibility but outstanding abilities in other areas. I have a feeling our recruit augmentation surgery will proceed exceptionally smoothly."

Galien frowned at those words.

He was not yet the mad Red Corsairs' Lord of the Fallen, so he naturally disliked using the inherited seeds of Battle-Brothers for experiments.

However, after the Chapter Master had been killed, Huron had led the remnants of the force out of their encirclement, then displayed extraordinary command ability in the battles that followed. He was highly respected within the Chapter, so Galien could not directly object.

Thus, he could only nod. "Understood. I'll handle it immediately."

But he had already formed an idea. The Chapter Master had not said it had to be Astral Claws Gene-seed, so using Gene-seed from the Tiger Claws Chapter should be acceptable, right?

As for why the Astral Claws possessed Gene-seed from their successor Chapter, Tiger Claws... don't ask. It was a little secret.

Of course, Galien was not the sort to betray his teammates. He intended to choose a battle-hardened Chapter Serf with an exceptionally resolute will.

During augmentation surgery, a strong will could resist rejection reactions. That was also why most Chapters included all manner of torturous trials in their selection processes.

While waiting for Galien to prepare the augmentation surgery, Huron continued studying his system.

Upon opening the map interface, Huron discovered that Badab was not green, the color representing directly controlled territory, but blue, the color representing allies and puppet states. What made it even harder for him to stomach was that the surrounding area was not unified at all, but filled with blue allies of every size.

Those allies had even formed numerous factions, large and small.

For example, Angstrom, the Maelstrom Zone's only Forge World, was an ally belonging to the same "Imperium of Man" faction as the Astral Claws. Yet it also belonged to the "Cult of the Omnissian Vitality" faction alongside the Forge World of Ryza west of the Maelstrom.

Ryza, meanwhile, belonged to the "Adeptus Mechanicus" faction, and the "Adeptus Mechanicus" was in the same larger faction as the "Imperium of Man."

It would have been one thing if the Adeptus Mechanicus was cooperating with the Imperium, but why were other forces, such as the Lamenters and the Mantis Warriors, also separate factions?

Furthermore, the Astral Claws, Lamenters, and Mantis Warriors all belonged to the "Maelstrom Wardens" faction, but the Mantis Warriors also belonged to the "White Scars" faction, while the Lamenters also belonged to the "Blood Angels" faction.

The White Scars, Blood Angels, and several other Founding Chapters also belonged to the "Astartes" faction.

The Deathwatch Chapter within the "Astartes" faction also belonged to the "Ordo Xenos" faction, while the "Ordo Xenos" in turn belonged to the "Inquisition" faction.

The layers upon layers of large factions enclosing smaller ones made Huron's head spin. It was no less convoluted than the Dark Angels' inner-circle system.

No wonder the Dark Angels were the First Legion. So nested rings were the Imperium of Man's fundamental system.

Setting the other factions aside for the moment, Huron found the patch of blue representing Badab increasingly unpleasant to look at. The puppet-state mechanic not only reduced the number of Factories provided by the territory, but also denied him a great many buffs.

To say nothing else, if Badab were directly controlled territory, military industry could be raised straight to around twenty Factories, perhaps even more. Even if troops had to be dispatched to suppress rebellions and maintain stability, it would still be worth it.

But this was not something Huron could decide simply because he wanted to. Badab was likewise a nest of rings within rings, its nobles forming alliances and dividing authority among themselves. Even the Astral Claws could not interfere and could only cooperate with them for the time being.

Without actual authority, the system would not recognize it as territory under his direct control.

After considering it, Huron selected the second National Policy.

New Homeland (0/360)

Description: We have occupied Badab, but it is all merely superficial. Fear born of violence can make the nobles bow their heads, but it cannot make the people sincerely accept us. We need to properly develop Badab and turn it into our true home.

Effect: A five-year "Build Homeland" bonus, increasing Civilian Factory efficiency by 10% and unlocking a series of construction and Coreization Decisions.

This National Policy required a year to complete, but Huron considered it worth the wait.

There would not be many large-scale wars involving the Astral Claws in the future, and their existing forces were fully capable of maintaining the current situation.

Rather than hurriedly expanding the military, Huron preferred to turn Badab into a true rear base. He had no desire to find rebellions erupting all over his home while he was away fighting.

Once Huron had chosen the National Policy, Galien's preparations were also complete, and he sent word that everything was ready.

When Huron arrived at the operating room, he saw Galien already outfitted in surgical gear, along with a tense-faced Chapter Serf lying on the operating table.

He was the picture of a hardened man, with bulging, firm muscles and a scar running across his left eye socket. The bionic eye that had once occupied it had been removed, leaving behind only an empty hollow.

Huron found his name in his memories: Garrison Odinson.

He had originally been a planetary governor. When Orks invaded, he had also taken command of the PDF and led the planet's resistance for a considerable time. Later, the Astral Claws arrived to provide support, recognized his talent, and took him away as a Chapter Serf.

Now, he not only managed the Chapter's civilian affairs, but also commanded the Chapter Serfs in battle. He was an exceptionally versatile and useful talent.

Moreover, his many years of diligent service had earned him a higher standing in the Chapter than some Astartes recruits. Unfortunately, his compatibility with Gene-seed was extremely low, practically zero. Otherwise, he would have become a Battle-Brother long ago.

Huron had not expected Galien to choose Odinson as the test subject. If such a capable talent died, both he and the original Huron would ache over the loss for quite some time.

But on second thought, Odinson truly was suitable. First, his genetic compatibility was exceptionally low. Second, he was already over three hundred years old and had undergone a rejuvenation procedure. If he could succeed, then practically any human could succeed.

Besides, Huron had been worrying over the lack of a suitable person to play political games with those nobles. Surely he could not send himself, a complete novice, could he?

An augmented Odinson would be perfect. He would not only possess the special status of an "Astartes" and the backing of the Astral Claws, but also extensive experience among the nobility. It was a match made in heaven.

"Chapter Master." Odinson had not expected Huron to personally come see him, and he hurriedly performed the Aquila over his chest.

The original Huron might have simply nodded and moved on, but Huron now returned the Aquila. "Congratulations, Odinson. You are about to become one of our Battle-Brothers."

"It is my honor!" Odinson's tense face could not conceal his excitement. After decades as a Chapter Serf, he had thought he no longer had any hope. He never imagined he would be given another chance!