Warhammer: The 11th Primarch - The Black Emperor

As the Third Chapter began its journey toward the Mordian star system, BukayChapter 161: Bukayo's Pre-Battle Preparationo started the process of taming his Gyrinx.

No sooner had he pulled the ginger-furred Gyrinx from its cage, he met its piercing blue eyes.

In an instant, the creature activated its psychic ability: "Terrify." Bukayo was dragged into the darkest, most horrifying nightmare.

He found himself on a blood-soaked battlefield, dazed and stumbling forward with a power sword in hand.

Around him lay the muscular corpses of warriors clad in black armor, the numeral "XI" burned into their right knees, a deep black crescent moon painted on their right pauldrons.

The Dark Lord grieved the deaths of his battle brothers, but his sorrow was quickly overshadowed by a towering figure lying still on the ground.

"Father!" he cried, watching the Gene-father, Monarch of Vostroya, fall.

His eyes filled with anguish. "So this is my nightmare... my greatest fear."

Sword in his left hand, he pounded his chest with his right fist and swore an oath in a voice full of resolve:

"I will never allow this to happen!"

His eyes gleamed, and he broke free from the dream.

Bukayo then turned his icy gaze on the Gyrinx in his hands.

"Now, let's see what your nightmare is."

Using his beyonder ability "Dream Shaping" he dragged the cat into a nightmare of his own making.

In a dim tunnel, foul-smelling sewage dripped onto the cat. Behind it echoed the heavy, deliberate footsteps of a Shadow of Order warrior. The cat, terrified, sprinted away.

No matter how fast it ran, the footsteps never faded. Its sensitive ears twitched in panic.

After dashing through multiple corridors and running for dozens of kilometers, the cat was eventually caught, lifted effortlessly by a black-armored giant.

The ginger cat struggled violently in his grasp, screeching in terror.

"You dare use 'Terrify' on me? Try it again and see."

"In shaping dreams, I am far more skilled than you."

The Gyrinx, not understanding Vostroyan, kept trying in vain to use its "Terrify" ability on the dark giant.

Eventually, the cat found itself in a lush forest. It looked around, tilting its head in confusion.

It couldn't figure out where the black-armored giant had gone.

But the cat didn't worry. Though it could enhance its master's thinking speed, it wasn't much of a thinker itself.

It began to walk elegantly through the forest, steps taught to it by its former owner.

As it enjoyed the peaceful beauty, the scenery changed abruptly.

Giant rhino-like creatures charged through the forest, smashing trees. Rat-like humanoids with glowing eyes emerged from the shadows and lunged at it.

A new nightmare had begun.

Bukayo used dream after dream, terror, and comfort, to slowly tame the Gyrinx.

On the 11th day of the voyage, he succeeded in establishing a psychic link with the creature.

In the fourth week, after the fleet emerged from the Warp and returned to realspace, Sanchez ordered the Master of Vox to begin chapter-wide broadcasts.

In multiple languages, the Imperial fleet announced the rise of the Human Empire and demanded that the Mordians lay down their arms and surrender.

They refused.

Within five stellar days, the Third Chapter used its overwhelming naval superiority to completely annihilate the Mordian system's space defenses.

Though the battles went smoothly, the Officers noticed something unusual: not a single Mordian ship surrendered or fled, even under hopeless conditions.

After space combat concluded, the strategic chamber aboard the command bridge projected a hologram of Mordian.

Its contrast of light and darkness was striking.

Samir, a first company captain from Terra, looked at the eternally night side of the planet and remarked:

"Hard to believe so many people live crammed into a zone just one-tenth the size of Terra."

Second company captain Mikhaeli added:

"Unlike Vostroya and other worlds, Mordian's hive cities are all shaped like pyramids."

His comment earned a nod from third company captain Grzegorz.

Samir glanced at the two captains, and the Gyrinx beside them. His gaze dimmed slightly.

Only Bukayo, Mikhaeli, and Grzegorz had been granted Gyrinx. Samir didn't care much for psychic pets; what he cared about was the Genefather's trust.

He was not a member of the Black Duke's Court.

Back when the legion was known as the Reapers, of the twelve company captains, only he, Saisak, and Robin were outsiders, not part of the inner circle. They were also the only ones who never became Chapter Masters.

Jealousy and frustration gnawed at Samir's heart. Clenching his fist, his eyes gleamed:

'This is my chance. I'll prove to everyone that I should have become Chapter Master, that I deserve Father's recognition.'

As he contemplated this, the Dark Lord zoomed in on Mordian's capital, Vanandra, and the four pyramids around it. He recalled data written by Nareth:

"Mordian is resource-poor. All supplies are controlled by four rulers known as the Tetrarchs."

"To control Mordian, they must be dealt with."

"According to Father, Mordian is to become a future recruitment world. Destruction is not our goal; preserving and subduing it efficiently is our strategy."

Bukayo then tapped the four surrounding pyramids on the hologram.

"Given our goals and Mordian's situation, I plan to lure the Tetrarchs into the wastelands between their pyramids and the capital."

"Companies Two through Five will each assault one pyramid. The Tetrarchs will likely rush to defend them."

"During the chaos, First Company and I will drop behind enemy lines via drop pods, avoiding urban warfare inside their capital, terrain where they have the advantage."

Bukayo laid out his plan to the five company captains.

The Mordians, destined to be the urban warfare kings of the future Astra Militarum, were experts at combat in ships, stations, and hive cities.

Nareth had warned Bukayo of their resilience and deadly efficiency in close-quarter battles.

Grzegorz, always meticulous, quickly spotted the plan's key risk:

"If the Tetrarchs don't respond, the plan fails."

But Mikhaeli, confident in Bukayo's strategy, responded:

"Grzegorz, those greedy lords will take the bait."

"If they lose their pyramids, their power and rule will collapse."

"Even if they don't, taking the pyramids first will prevent us from being attacked from both front and rear when we strike the capital."

His words won the support of all Third Chapter Captains.

Grzegorz trusted his friend's judgment; they had passed Bukayo's tests together and undergone Astartes augmentation side by side.

Though Mikhaeli appeared optimistic, he possessed a rare blend of keen insight and calm analysis that few noticed.

"If there are no further questions, begin preparing according to the plan."

As the commanders left, Samir stared at the hologram, silently searching Bukayo's plan for a chance to shine.

...

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

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