The void of the Campinas system was filled with flame-wreathed wreckage.
The most prominent among them was the burning new 'sun', the Rangdan's artificial war satellite.
To achieve this brilliant victory, the flagship of the Lord of Iron, the Iron Blood, had paid a heavy price.
The iron-grey hull of the Gloriana-class battleship was covered in scars left by swarms of Rangdan drones.
After securing victory in the void battle at great cost, the Iron Warriors successfully made planetfall.
In the Primarch's command post, Keon, encased in his armor, stood quietly before the hololithic table, listening to Perturabo issue orders.
Perturabo explained his plan to his Trident, finally pointing to a mountain range.
"Now, the only uncertain factor in my plan is this mountain range that bisects this plain world."
"Due to unknown electromagnetic interference, the Auspex Master has not provided me with scan results sufficient to eliminate all unknowns."
His ice-blue eyes stared at the center of the hololith, a mountain range like a reclining dragon. A hint of dissatisfaction tinged his voice.
Forrix, spoke to his gene-father.
"Father, I have already dispatched Kherkes. He is the sergeant most adept at reconnaissance among the lieutenants. He will surely bring back intelligence that satisfies you."
On Campinas Prime, the endless mountain range rose and fell, shrouded in perennial mist.
Deep within the heart of the range, imposing fortresses rose from the ground.
Concealed in the shadow of the rocks, a Slaugth infiltrator, Dominicus, his body a mass of writhing worms, lounged, watching the scene below with satisfaction.
Light falling upon him was absorbed by the burial shroud enveloping his form.
Two servant he had summoned, Cerabvoress, following his will, had already surrounded the warriors in iron-grey armor.
As a Slaugth who had barely crossed the threshold into biological weaponry, he could sense the neurotoxin already diffusing in the air. Soon, he would acquire test subjects and proceed with his plan.
The worms writhed, forming a vaguely human-like smile. Dominicus watched as one warrior in iron-grey knelt.
Light flashed. A Cerabvores swung its crystal greatsword, cleaving another Iron Warrior in half.
Hour after hour passed. The young Dominicus grew somewhat impatient, watching the one warrior who still stood.
His ammunition was spent. His power sword had shattered against the Cerabvores's crystal blade. But he still struggled.
Dominicus emerged from the shadow of the rocks, moving among the Rangdan warriors.
The infiltrator, wrapped in his burial shroud, glided noiselessly between his servants, arriving silently three meters behind Kherkes.
The burial shroud writhed and twisted as if alive, following the spreading worms.
The worms covering Dominicus's body stretched rapidly, in an instant reaching Kherkes's head, grasping it like a giant hand.
Necrotic fluids rapidly secreted from the worm-creature's body tissues. Molecular-level acid enveloped Kherkes's helmet.
Kherkes swung his chainsword, laboriously parrying the crystal blade. He felt something on his head. The necrotic acid had already eaten a fist-sized hole in his helmet.
Countless worms surged madly, burrowed in the helmet, grasping at Kherkes's scalp.
The necrotic acid enveloped the Astartes's head, quickly tearing a hole in his skull.
Hundreds of worms, like hands, grasped a bloody, insect-like thing and pushed it into Kherkes's brain.
Kherkes's chainsword halted mid-swing. His face contorted. His body trembled.
The two Cerabvoress and other Rangdan ceased their attacks, retreating a distance, eyeing their master with some fear.
The worms rapidly retracted. The burial shroud contracted, reverting to humanoid form.
He walked to the corpse of an Iron Warrior. His left arm hung limp. Worms surged onto his right arm.
The elongated right arm grasped an Iron Warrior's helmet.
After the necrotic acid dissolved the helmet, densely packed worms completely enveloped the warrior's head.
Over a dozen seconds later, the Iron Warrior's head vanished. Simultaneously, a large mass of jumbled memories, knowledge, and experience flooded into Dominicus's mind.
The worms on his face writhed chaotically for a time before he found the needed fragments amidst the chaotic information. He reverted to humanoid form.
Meanwhile, 'Kherkes's'body ceased trembling. He walked to Dominicus and knelt.
Dominicus's body writhed. A worm-hand again grasped 'Kherkes's'head.
Then, 'Kherkes' rose, tore the helmet from another Iron Warrior's corpse, and placed it on his own head.
The worms on Dominicus quivered. He raised his right arm. A lumpy metal orb at the tip of the tentacle glowed.
A vox-synthesizer translated the Slaugth's scraping sounds into words his servants could understand.
One Cerabvores immediately departed with its subordinates, conveying the master's orders to other xenos.
The other Cerabvores, with its remaining servants, picked up the Iron Warrior corpses and followed behind Dominicus.
Dominicus returned to his fortress with his spoils.
The Iron Warrior corpses were divided. The ten more complete bodies were sent to the laboratory, awaiting dissection and biological research.
The remaining corpses were sent to his dining chamber, to be left until they rotted before he would enjoy his meal.
Compared to the discomfort of consuming living memories, rotten corpses were far more delicious.
Four standard hours later, 'Kherkes' entered Perturabo's command base.
He saluted the Primarch and the Trident, then spoke fluently in his usual tone.
"I reconnoitered the central mountain range as ordered. The xenos have built no fortifications within the mountains."
"There are several straight highways through the range. The foolish xenos have not utilized them."
"We can occupy these positions and build fortresses. This will give us an advantage."
Keon listened to the Iron Warrior's report. The "Spirit Medium" suddenly felt his psychic senses triggered.
He also sensed faint, barely perceptible signs of decay on Kherkes's body.
Though faint, to a former "Corpse Collector," there could be no mistake.
The "Spirit Medium" immediately opened his Spirit Vision, scrutinizing the Iron Warrior before him.
'Hmm?'
'Kherkes's soul is... wrong. It's not the somber, resilient iron-grey of an Iron Warrior. It's a pale red.'
He closed his Spirit Vision and opened his "Eye of Death," an ability he had possessed since becoming a "Gravedigger" and had enhanced upon becoming a "Spirit Medium."
He continued to scrutinize the Iron Warrior.
Entering the spiritual realm, looking down upon the Astartes from a higher plane, he immediately saw decay at both the physical and spiritual levels.
The "Spirit Medium" closed "Eye of Death." His psychic energy extended towards the Iron Warrior, touching the blood-red insectoid creature.
The "Spirit Medium" sensed its independence. Combining the observations from his Spirit Vision and "Eye of Death," he reached a startling conclusion:
The Iron Warrior had been parasitized.
An Astartes, after undergoing augmentation, had been parasitized and yet seemed to retain his reason. This seemed impossible. But the Black Emperor had already informed him that the Slaugth possessed such capability.
'Kherkes's words are false. It's a Slaugth trap.'
Just as Keon opened his mouth to warn, he remembered the Black Emperor's instruction: assist Lord Perturabo.
He changed what he was about to say. "Lord Perturabo, I have crucial intelligence that requires a private report to you."
Perturabo's ice-blue eyes swept over Keon. "Follow me."
Perturabo led Keon away from the hololithic table, into a private chamber.
After activating the shield's field, he spoke.
"You have one minute."
"Lord Perturabo, your son, Kherkes, has been parasitized."
The moment Keon finished, he felt as if struck by a hammer. He met Perturabo's ice-blue gaze and saw it overflowing with cold fury.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu