The unlucky Clustered Planet

"Of course not. Neither we nor the Dawn Angels Chapter, who arrived later and searched for ages, found anything. It was probably destroyed by the heavy bombardment and violent explosions long ago. Or perhaps we guessed wrong in the first place, and they were only there to gather supplies and offerings for that one before heading to the main battlefield."

Aboard the warship where they had slain the Greater Daemon, Evan and the others had blasted the compartment containing the gene-seed and STC Template beyond even its designer's recognition. Never mind the mechanical piping—even the walls were gone. Who could tell what had been there?

Evan did not blush or miss a beat. He wore an expression of bitter anguish, as though they really had suffered enormous casualties with nothing to show for it.

Whatever happened, they would stick to their story: there had been no treasure. Only Situval knew the exact location of the gene-seed. Even the Adeptus Mechanicus personnel assisting with the recruits' augmentation knew nothing about it. Situval personally performed every gene-seed implantation.

The metal box storing the STC Template fragment was hidden even more ingeniously, embedded inside a metal pillar without leaving a trace. Annos screamed inwardly, Come and look! If you find it, I'll give you my whole warship.

You're not a machine spirit. How could you possibly find our treasure?

They still could not let anything show. The best approach was to steer the conversation toward the theory that the enormous enemy force had been heading to the main battlefield. Who knew how the fighting on the Imperium's public fronts was going?

A grand banquet followed. The unlucky cook Ferin once again swung his iron spatula until it practically smoked. Since arriving here, his arms had grown thicker by who knew how much. Not one of the other cooks could beat him at arm wrestling anymore.

Although Inquisitor Letcher was still not entirely reassured, he could hardly bring himself to question an Astartes who was surely loyal and had just won a tremendous victory for the Imperium.

Led by Evan, the visitors toured the Battle Barge. Afterward, they greeted the Adeptus Mechanicus personnel establishing a base here and departed.

Nothing here was out of the ordinary. There was not even any need to launch an investigation. Once the Warp Storm ended, they could even apply to have these four valiant warriors awarded medals on Terra.

With the investigation finding everything in order, the Imperial officials' fleet set off for Atris. The newly reclaimed planet would undergo a lengthy series of reforms, approval procedures, and efforts to establish the faith.

Once the Imperial officials' fleet had left, everyone immediately searched the warship. There was no telling whether those Inquisitors had left any listening devices aboard.

Only after finding no devices whatsoever did everyone finally relax.

We've just been through one inspection. Surely the next one won't start right away?

Thank goodness they tested whether we were loyal to the Emperor. If they'd asked whether we were loyal to the Imperium of Man, who knows what would have happened.

Let's keep our heads down and build up for now. At least wait until we have more people before putting the other plans into motion.

Honestly, I hear the Segmentum Obscurus is crawling with Chaos and Orks. How did they find the time to come here?

Mechanicus Bishop Phinnis had a headache. I'm not one of your Imperial subordinates. What happened to our supposed partnership? Fine, considering the psychic attack hanging over my head and the Imperial goods on offer, getting some supplies out of the Imperium is better than nothing, even if I failed to swindle Evan.

But all you give me as a representative of the Department of the Interior is a slip of paper? Who doesn't know how efficient your Imperium is? If they deliver within a hundred years, that'll count as the Omnissiah sparing me a glance.

Meanwhile, Evan opened the large map. He would leave the rebel planets alone for now, but they could take a look at some xenos worlds.

Several planets lacked both spacefaring capabilities and valuable mineral deposits. He would have to consider his options carefully.

It was time to let the warriors fight some agile enemies.

This one, then. Clustered Planet. The planet had little ecological diversity. Its dominant species was a kind of Flying Lizards with an antlike social structure, or so they would call them for now. These Flying Lizards could grow to four meters long as adults, with dark brown wings and sharp claws on all four feet. Their faces resembled turtles with bird beaks. Those beaks were sharp enough to shatter any bone, allowing them to consume their prey completely without leaving even the marrow. Sharp bony spurs grew along their tails, which could effectively slash their prey.

The species had developed organs capable of transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves, allowing it to coordinate large-scale combat effectively. It also appeared to have leaders.

They would make good targets for the Sons of Horus and the Son of Jaghatai Khan to practice assaulting and decapitating enemy leadership.

The other large species was a thick-skinned land beast. They could grow up to twenty meters long, and although extremely cumbersome, they had perfected the art of piling on armor. These four-legged reptiles were covered in intricately arranged, arched armor plates. Trying to penetrate those plates was like attacking medieval plate armor: weapons were extremely likely to glance off. Their lethal weapon was their tail, which resembled a massive hammer with a thick, enormous bony spike on either side. Any prey struck by it would find itself pierced straight through the heart, quite literally.

They would call this species Clustered Armored Beasts for now. After all, no one had explored the planet in detail or formally named them.

These were also social animals, with each herd numbering around thirty to eighty.

They were ideal for simulating assaults on fortified positions, excellent opponents for the sons of Rogal Dorn and Ferrus Manus.

The vegetation consisted of tall, strange "trees" and colorful "mosslike" plants covering the ground. There were low-growing plants as well, but most were covered in thorns.

Techmarine Annos made a guest appearance for this training session, mainly because Evan's understanding of mechanized assaults was admittedly lacking.

Forty-six recruits and two instructors landed on the planet's surface. Their previous training seemed to have been too easy, with no losses among the personnel. This time, they would train in actual combat.

First, they would attack some herds of Clustered Armored Beasts. They could not start with the Flying Lizards. The warriors needed to learn what mechanized warfare meant.

Evan led the recruits in rapidly spreading out to begin reconnaissance.

Before long, the scattered recruits discovered a herd of forty-one Clustered Armored Beasts. Keeping their movements as quiet as possible, they slowly surrounded the entire herd.

Their various detection instruments began operating, analyzing the species ahead.

Under the Techmarine's command, the recruits split into two groups. Those who remained at the rear readied various shoulder-launched missiles. First, they would practice covering an infantry assault with a creeping barrage.

The soldiers advancing in front carried the usual Bolters and Power Swords. These primitive creatures were nowhere near as tough as Fenossian Giant Serpents. Energy weapons like Power Swords and bolt rounds would be more than enough to deal with them.

The distance steadily closed until they were within a hundred and fifty meters.

One of the Clustered Armored Beasts on the herd's outer edge sensed something wrong and looked to the side in confusion.

The instant it turned its head, several missiles streaked straight toward it.

The Clustered Armored Beasts on the perimeter immediately came under heavy fire. In a sense, there was no need for the Space Marines to charge at all, but they still needed the training.

Having never faced anything like this, the Clustered Armored Beasts quickly employed their most familiar strategy. All the adults formed a ring, sheltering the old, weak, sick, and injured in the center.

They all faced their rear ends outward, constantly swinging their powerful tails.

The entire herd resembled a giant flywheel edged with sharp teeth. Even the Astartes recruits in scout armor could not immediately find a tactical opening.

Of course, their armor could not withstand Bolter fire, rendering it all pointless.

Five minutes later, everyone gathered around a pile of corpses for a post-battle analysis. Techmarine Annos angrily berated the infantry who had charged in front. They had to trust their comrades and not slow their charge just because an explosive barrage lay ahead.

Evan then analyzed their reconnaissance and assault. For example, being detected at a hundred and fifty meters was still too far away. The recruits should have been capable of getting closer.

After that, the surrounding herds of Clustered Armored Beasts suffered appalling luck. A bunch of enormous tin cans suddenly appeared at close range, accompanied by sudden flashes of fire and violent explosions.

The thick smell of blood quickly drew large numbers of Flying Lizards.

Normally, they should have withdrawn, but Evan ordered them to take cover immediately. Anyone discovered by the Flying Lizards would have to spar with an instructor during combat training back aboard.

Every recruit wished he could dig a hole and bury himself in it.

Xiao Lan quickly found a good hiding spot and tucked himself away. Enke's battlefield analysis skills had improved greatly after his Astartes augmentation, and he quickly calculated the best place to remain undetected. Then... he saw Chapter Master Evan crawl into it. Fine, the second-best spot, then... All right, that one's yours, Annos.

At last, everyone was concealed. The flock of Flying Lizards approached from the distance, circled briefly, then landed and quickly began feeding.

The recruits immediately began gathering information on their opponents.

After they had fed for a while, an exceptionally large Flying Lizard landed. All the feeding lizards cleared a path for it, allowing it to proceed straight to the largest carcass.

Clearly, this one was their leader.

Evan quickly issued an order over the tactical communications channel. "Wound the largest Flying Lizard's wings, then capture it alive. Hold your ground until support arrives."

A nearby recruit immediately called for transport support.

The recruits responsible for fire support had already raised their weapons to their shoulders.

Now the merits and shortcomings of their hiding places became apparent. Some had chosen positions that offered excellent concealment and convenient observation, but made charging into an attack truly difficult. Xiao Lan was the prime example. A patch of tough, low-growing shrubs covered in thorns stood directly in front of him.

Saturation fire quickly became precision strikes. The powerful gunfire instantly tore apart the feeding four-legged lizards. The largest tried to fly away, only for a bolt round to shatter one of its wings.

The recruits quickly advanced to the largest specimen. Half continued clearing out the enemy, while the other half established defensive positions on the spot.

Without Power Armour and Nuclear Power Packs, the recruits' assault did not technically qualify as mechanized, and they could not carry much ammunition either. Still, training always progressed step by step from simple to complex.

There were many enemies, and their ammunition was running low. Many recruits began killing with their Power Swords, which also resulted in several suffering minor injuries.

A few claw scratches and pecks from those strange beaks could not cause serious harm. With a little rest, the wounds would soon heal.

But it was embarrassing.

Everyone else was watching.

William directed several nearby Astartes to form a combat team and cover one another, achieving good results.

In fact, Astartes combat teams generally consisted of three men. They were powerful enough, and most standard Imperial Drop Pods also carried three. However, the White Scars and Iron Hands were rather unusual Chapters. Ten-man combat teams were almost exclusively used to form battle lines or the spearheads of assaults.

Evan watched William. The young man had a real air of leadership. If he survived the battles to come, he would become a company captain at the very least.

Some recruits fought as though they had become unstoppable one-man armies, wielding their Power Swords so fiercely that no Flying Lizard could approach. One seemed to be the lad who had ridden a desert wolf around the desert back then. His name was Kazhaniv, if Evan remembered correctly.

Everyone recorded data on the enemy, while Evan continually assessed the recruits.

The outline of the transport aircraft was already visible overhead. Dark masses of Flying Lizards to the east and west also appeared in everyone's tactical optics.

But the transport had received no orders from Evan. It immediately delivered a round of firepower "deterrence" against both enemy groups, frightening them into turning tail.

Evan spread his hands, acknowledging that he had overlooked a move. Whoops. Forgot about that.

Everyone returned safely to the Battle Barge Righteous Vigil.

Chief Apothecary Situval dissected the Flying Lizard, gaining a better understanding of its physiology. Meanwhile, several Adeptus Mechanicus personnel were quite interested in the Clustered Armored Beast's armored scales. It seemed they could manufacture similar shields. Although these would be of little use to Astartes, supplying them to the PDF, the Planetary Defense Force, should improve its combat effectiveness somewhat.

Evan called all the recruits together for a meeting to devise a plan to decapitate the leadership of the planet's largest Flying Lizard flock.

Which flock was the largest? Scan for it. For something on this scale, wherever the greatest number of creatures gathered would be their nest.

Several recruits were still mocking one another's injuries, but after going down for a few more missions, they stopped laughing. One recruit was even accidentally impaled through the body by a thick spike on a Clustered Armored Beast's powerful tail. Luckily, help arrived in time. Otherwise, he would have been in danger.

The recruits finally realized that even with the bodies of angels, they could still die on this mission. Everyone began taking it seriously. Now they looked like powerful Astartes warriors.

The warriors began working out meticulous deployments, each contributing his ideas.

The sons of the White Scars, with their superior senses, would serve as scouts. The sons of the Luna Wolves, who excelled at executing outrageous tactics, would form the assault's spearhead. The sons of the Iron Hands, famed for mechanized warfare, would provide fire support. The sons of the Imperial Fists, known for their staunch defense and close-combat prowess, would form the defensive force protecting the fire-support personnel.

A powerful fighting force was beginning to show its teeth.

Within the chaotic, evil Warp lay a realm filled with blood and fire, across ground strewn with severed limbs, through vast rivers of blood, and among mad daemons locked in endless struggle and slaughter.

At the very center of this vast domain stood an enormous fortress. The moat of blood surrounding it churned with the wails of the dead, and horrifying instruments of torture hung from its solid walls. At its heart, atop an immense mound of countless skulls, stood a Brass Throne.

Now, a delighted yet terrifying voice erupted from the Brass Throne.

"Hahahaha! I have seen it! Seen the endless slaughter that is coming! My power will grow tremendously..."

Blood-red skin and pitch-black horns could not convey his horror. Khorne, the great master of the Brass Throne, sat high upon his divine seat. This seemed to be the only place in the entire realm with even a trace of order.

"Send the Blood Legion. Abaddon can no longer manage the main front, but he has succeeded in tying down most of our blood-prey's forces. Let the Blood Legion feast to its heart's content."

His voice spread throughout the realm, and countless daemons unleashed war cries that made souls tremble.

Khorne Berserkers brandished their blades, and Skull Reapers swung enormous Khorne Battle Axes, roaring as they entered the rifts between the Warp and reality. The Lord of Skulls Daemon Engines let out terrifying shrieks. None could match their thirst for blood.

This was the perfect opportunity to carry out the will of the Brass Throne.

To conduct a genuine war simulation, each son of the Iron Hands was ordered to command the crew of an Emperor's Blade Tank and practice actual artillery-infantry coordination. Of course, these were not the powerful Baneblades manufactured on Mars, but Type II Baneblades produced by other Forge Worlds. Without the complete technology, most of these Emperor's Blade Tanks had undergone radical modifications based on whatever technology their local worlds possessed.

For example, because the manufacturing technology for their main weapons was missing, these Baneblades had been fitted with giant Plasma Cannons. Unlike traditional Plasma Cannons that required cooling, these weapons had their plasma units removed after each shot and replaced with fresh ones. The old plasma units were cooled with coolant, then returned to the "ammunition-ready compartment" in preparation for the next attack. This gave these Baneblades a slower firing rate and larger turrets, but considerable power.

As for the risk of a hit triggering a catastrophic explosion, any attack capable of penetrating a Baneblade's armor and actually damaging its plasma components would produce the same outcome whether it exploded or not.

The secondary machine guns on either side had also been altered because of missing technology. Their turret mounts had been replaced with the ball turrets used on bombers, equipped with twin-linked Lasguns. Admittedly, this design significantly improved the tank's antiaircraft capabilities, but reduced the density of its fire against enemies to the front.

Its only consistent forward firepower came from the Demolisher Cannon at the very front and the secondary battery of four short-barreled Heavy Bolters. Their density of fire was enough to cover any enemy daring to charge the Venom Blade head-on. Of course, if the enemy was a Titan, that would depend on the main gun's performance.

As for why this was an artillery-infantry coordination simulation rather than an infantry-tank coordination simulation... the warriors charging ahead seemed fiercer than the tanks.

Under the powerful bombardment, every four-legged lizard daring to block their way was immediately reduced to ash. The occasional lucky enemy that reached the tanks was hacked to pieces by the furious Power Swords of Rogal Dorn's sons.

The keen Son of Jaghatai Khan quickly discovered three weaknesses in the enemy's defenses. The sons of the Luna Wolves tore through those defenses with a ferocious assault and stormed into the cave.

Blood stained the surrounding ground crimson. Before long, the lizards scattered and fled. William carried the enormous lizard king's corpse on his back, while Kazhaniv, that crazed warrior, held the enemy's head aloft. The two walked out of the cave side by side.

To the recruits, calling in artillery support seemed to make this trial far too easy.

Clearly, Evan disagreed. Astartes also needed to become proficient at commanding vehicle crews in battle. After all, in his later plans, hiding Astartes among mortal forces would be an important means of evading Imperial scrutiny.

Or rather, these Astartes would serve as something like Commissars.

The Imperium had a longstanding problem: most of its ships were mothballed until wartime. Once they were activated, the quality of hastily recruited soldiers was questionable, and there were plenty of cases of Chaos corruption or Genestealer infiltration.

These "Commissars" would be highly effective at curbing such problems.