These had been very tense days for Horus.
The XVI Legion he had rebuilt was approaching the gene-seed implantation stage.
After four years of development, the first batch of Astartes candidates Horus had chosen had reached the age for gene-seed implantation.
Horus had handpicked nearly all these candidates. His selection criteria had nothing to do with social class; he judged each individual.
He wanted none of the Emperor's fanatics. They always reminded Horus of his brother Lorgar.
Nor did he want bloodstained men with long histories of brutality, especially the scavengers from the Underhive. Horus felt their methods were too cruel.
Those he chose were a group of seemingly ordinary people.
Many of those Horus recruited were wasteland scavengers who could not even gain entry to the Underhive. He felt their adaptability, resilience, and cunning suited the Luna Wolves he had once led.
So far, the organ known as the "Gene Keystone," composed of genetic extracts from the Thunder Warriors, had proved remarkably successful, greatly improving the candidates' success rate. The results had surprised Horus considerably.
The four additional surgical procedures that followed had not produced the widespread Warp mutations Horus had expected, either.
Hmm...
As for what came afterward-whether these Astartes would be more likely to fall into the embrace of Chaos-Horus had no idea. Still, things looked very good for now.
If Bona's five additional surgical procedures had already been enough to leave Horus on edge, the gene-seed they were preparing to implant next was on another level altogether.
Because it came from the Black Legion.
Gene-seed was essentially a mixture of a genetic virus and specific hormones, the key to turning a mortal into an "Astartes." It was a product the Emperor had created ten thousand years ago from genetic material taken from the Primarchs.
Perhaps some