The Emperor’s Angel of Death

"Although the High Lords of Terra ended our Penitent Crusade, they didn't return our original homeworld or grant us a new one. They only gave us some old frigates, and we became a fleet-based Chapter. After we raised the issue of replenishing our ranks, the High Lords allowed us one last recruitment on Endymion. After that, we had to figure things out ourselves. After leaving Terra, we returned to the Maelstrom and, under the watchful eyes of the Inquisition, recruited our last batch of soldiers. To improve the success rate of the new recruits' transformation, we had to seek help from the White Scars, so we lingered on Chogoris for a while. Later, we participated in a war against the Orks, and only recently did we have the time to visit you."

As he spoke, he looked up at the massive orbital construct shimmering in the deep night sky, and couldn't help but marvel:

"I never imagined that the Nayseth system, located in the impoverished Storm region, would be so prosperous, like a pearl in the endless darkness. It must be due to your excellent management and operation. Endymion used to be like this, alas, we didn't cherish it."

Metellus's praise was not mere flattery. The Storm region, as one of the five major regions of the Imperium, has long been regarded as a "dark frontier" in the eyes of the Imperial high command since the former Steel Road was torn apart by the fires of the Horus Heresy. Although the Ultima Segmentum also has a large number of dark frontiers, the Ultima Segmentum has a large number of star systems and has an extraordinary position in Imperial politics. The Storm region is different. 60% of the entire region is dark and empty. The few scattered star systems cannot form a particularly prosperous star cluster corridor. This has led to the fact that the Storm region actually receives very little attention most of the time. The investment in colonization, construction, and military strength can be described as negligible. In addition, the warp nodes in this area are relatively rare, so although there are some prosperous areas in this region, it is generally relatively poor and backward. The Battlefleet Bakka, which guards the Storm region, is also the weakest of the Imperium's main fleets.

However, the true decline of Battlefleet Bakka is also related to the Ultramarines. One of the most famous battles during the First Tyrannic War involved Battlefleet Bakka.

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At that time, the Tyranid fleet swept through many planets in the Ultramarines' territory, and Macragge, the Ultramarines' home world, was also attacked by Hive Fleet Behemoth. The Chapter was gradually pushed back by the terrifying alien tide.

Then, just when everything seemed to be over, Battlefleet Bakka, urgently dispatched by the High Lords of Terra, arrived.

What followed was an extremely brutal naval battle. More than two hundred ships of Battlefleet Bakka fought a bloody battle against a Tyranid fleet thirty times its size to save the Ultramarines. Even the fleet flagship detonated itself at the last moment, dragging the surrounding Hive Fleet into the warp. Admiral Las, the legendary fleet commander of Battlefleet Bakka, also died in this battle. After the war, only 12 ships of Battlefleet Bakka survived.

After suffering such heavy damage, Battlefleet Bakka's size was less than half of its original size. However, since the First Tyrannic War, because the Imperial Segmentum fleets have been constantly demanding new warships like嗷嗷待哺 babies, the High Lords of Terra gave priority to supplying new warships to the fleets of the Obscurus and Pacificus Segmentums. Battlefleet Bakka could only get a small number of old or even mothballed ships to make up the numbers. As a result, the two hundred or so warships lost in the First Tyrannic War have not been replenished much to this day. This scale is not even as good as the secondary fleets of the Obscurus Segmentum, let alone the main fleet of a Segmentum, but it has to bear the responsibility of guarding a Segmentum. (When Leviathan came later, the Storm region had no resistance at all)

Not only Metellus, but even other Chapters in the Storm region believe that this place is not valued by the Imperium at all.

So, at first, the Mantis Warriors also thought that the Star Phantoms' homeworld was a primitive world or a relatively "original" hive world, but they were shocked after arriving.

First of all, there is the monitoring and detection network that has already taken shape around the entire system, as well as the huge system defense weapons under construction. In addition, there are the busy shipping lanes. After the Mantis Warriors' fleet left the warp node, they found themselves near a huge merchant fleet, and new merchant ships were constantly disengaging from the warp, so busy that they seemed to have returned to the Maelstrom, the Imperium's commercial hub.

After entering the system, what they saw was an energetic and prosperous system full of aircraft and spatial facilities under construction. This didn't look like an "unnamed system" in the Storm region at all—before the Star Phantoms became famous, the Nayseth system was indeed unknown.

Hearing what the other party said, Thaddeus said with a hint of humility:

"These are all the efforts of the people of our homeworld. Without their efforts, there would be no Star Phantoms today. I also believe that the Mantis Warriors' honor will be rebuilt, but your current strength is indeed too weak, mainly because the fleet and equipment cannot be replenished. The replenishment of fleet-based Chapters depends on luck. Have you considered joining the Fellowship of Misery?"

Obviously, Metellus had considered this matter for a long time. He nodded and replied very simply:

"That would be great. I was worried that it might cause you trouble, especially with the Reivers."

Thaddeus waved his hand.

"It doesn't matter, I will take care of it. Besides, it's been so long since that happened. No one wanted to see the tragedy back then. We can't keep dwelling on it forever, right?"

According to the rules of the Fellowship of Misery, a new member must be approved by a vote of all members. It just so happens that there is already the Relictors Chapter waiting for a vote, so the Mantis Warriors don't need to wait any longer.

"Without a homeworld, it will be more troublesome to replenish new recruits. Brother Metellus, you can look around in the Storm region and find a suitable planet. You can recruit troops there first. When the time is right, I will find a way to have Terra grant you new rule."

"This—"

Metellus looked at Thaddeus in surprise. It was not a simple matter, but the other party seemed to be talking about a trivial matter.

"Don't worry, the rules allow it."

Seeing Thaddeus so sure, Metellus nodded and said sincerely:

"Then thank you very much, Chapter Master Thaddeus."

Thaddeus subsequently arranged the management matters of the system. With Veletius and others sitting here, even without Astartes in charge, there would be no major problems. He also inspected a part of the expeditionary force that had been trained in the Nayseth system. Their formations were all the latest Vashti and Pushti squads designed by Thaddeus. Currently, three million people have been trained, which is close to the expected number of five million. The auxiliary army that Thaddeus led to the Ek沃利亚 expedition earlier came from here, but this number is not enough when fighting against the Necrons head-on. Thaddeus increased the standard again, raising it to ten million.

With everything arranged, Thaddeus, along with a bodyguard composed of some of the 1st and 2nd Company warriors, set off on the Eternal Crusader with the Mantis Warriors' fleet to Victory's Scar to take over the work of the rotating leader of the Fellowship of Misery.