Two months after Gardinaal's surrender, the First, Third, and Sixth Chapters departed the Eastern Galactic Crown in succession.
Having concluded her conversation with the last subject, Diana recorded the information on her data slate.
After sending her report to Arsena and copying it to Wilshire, she rose from her office and walked out.
Diana headed towards the Stormbird. She had received orders from the Primarch to return to Vostroya, but before leaving, she wished to personally verify the results of her efforts.
The black aircraft lifted off, soaring out of the capital.
The capital quickly receded behind them. Diana looked through the viewport at rows of iron-gray buildings, hearing the roar of machinery.
She saw hab-towers erected around factories, realizing the Second Chapter had adopted her submitted report.
After the Stormbird landed and Diana disembarked, she saw a fenced-off area to her right.
Curious, she walked forward several dozen meters. An attendant beside her began to explain.
"The individuals you previously spoke with have become representatives of the Gardinaal people. Consequently, several surrounding industrial zones have been merged into one large integrated industrial complex. The constructed hab-towers accommodate over twelve million people."
"The Legion has built a temporary training ground here for preliminary screening of children of suitable age."
"Gardinaal's Crown lacks for nothing in population. Initial screening needs to be conducted at multiple locations simultaneously."
Diana nodded. She stopped outside the red restricted area sign of the training ground. The XII insignia on the right shoulder of the black-armored warriors confirmed the Shadows of Order conducting the recruitment were from the Twelfth Chapter.
Clearly, the Twelfth Chapter was permitted to recruit new neophyte on Gardinaal's Crown.
Images from past war councils flashed through Diana's mind. Among the various lords, Wilshire and Howard Fednder displayed the greatest strategic vision.
Howard's came from his noble upbringing; Wilshire's stemmed from an admiration for the Primarch that surpassed others.
'Lord Nareth ordered the Twelfth Chapter to assist the Second in conquering neighboring star systems. Naturally, Wilshire would allow them to recruit here.'
As Diana pondered, her blue-green eyes remained fixed on the training ground.
The candidates wore simple, unadorned attire, clearly from the working class.
Having only recently left the worker-caste, they now lived in new dwellings, but their clothing hadn't fundamentally changed.
The "Psychiatrist's" superhuman vision could see trimmed edges on sleeves and trouser legs, and she could smell the engine oil that refused to wash out. Evidently, these were hand-me-downs from their parents, altered to fit.
They were climbing a gray granite cliff face. A large black bell suspended above clanged, urging the youths to exert their utmost.
Their arms were bruised black and blue; some even had their hands scraped raw by sharp edges, blood dripping.
Among them was one youth who had left the other candidates far behind.
Compared to the others, he moved with greater composure. Shifting within a small range, each chosen foothold was precisely right, allowing him to climb with minimal effort.
The "Psychiatrist's" gaze focused intently.
William Wood, who had recently cut his long hair short, keenly sensed that besides the Shadows of Order watching from above, over a dozen additional eyes were now fixed on him from behind.
An image flashed through his mind: a figure in military uniform, golden hair loose, eyes sharp as if they could pierce through his body.
William's body trembled slightly, almost losing his grip on the protruding rock.
At the critical moment, his wilderness-honed reflexes allowed him to reach out desperately as he tilted, grabbing another rock.
Pebbles fell. William took a deep breath, pouring all his awareness back into perceiving the optimal route.
No longer sensing the situation behind him, William focused solely on climbing, swiftly scaling the cliff face to the top.
Wiping sweat from his brow, William heard a dignified, resonant voice sound beside his ear.
"William Wood, congratulations. You have passed the initial screening."
William's back, chilled by sweat and battered by cold wind, was suddenly enveloped in warmth.
He looked up at the giant. Since the gloomy sky had been illuminated, he had foreseen the High Lords' downfall.
Though William didn't fully understand what becoming part of the Shadows of Order entailed, he knew that was his future.
Standing behind the black-armored giant, William looked down. He saw the graceful figure in the black military uniform, her stride brisk and powerful.
'Was it her watching me earlier?'
'Her gaze is sharper than the instructor's.'
Seeing the youth falter under her gaze, Diana withdrew her eyes and walked towards the industrial complex.
At the gray gates of the complex, she saw a group of familiar yet changed figures. Rafa Kadona and others had been notified long ago.
Compared to two months prior, they now wore neat black uniforms.
In the "Psychiatrist's" eyes, their greatest change was the absence of negative emotions like resentment or confusion. Their auras shimmered with the light of hope.
Diana smiled. "We meet again."
"Lady Diana, welcome. Thank you for choosing the Predator Tank Manufacturing Complex under our management as the final stop before your departure."
Rafa stepped forward with a smile, gesturing behind him towards the gray structure that rose from the ground, reaching into the clouds.
"The orbital elevator will deliver raw materials gathered by collectors to the factory."
"Subsequently, the entire process of smelting and forging will be completed within this area."
"The final manufactured products will be received by the great Shadows of Order, taking their place in the armories."
Diana nodded slightly. The "Psychiatrist" listened while scrutinizing the group.
Over the next five hours of the tour, she witnessed the entire process from raw materials to finished battle tanks. She saw long-haired Gardinaal working tirelessly on production lines, sweating profusely.
At their parting, Rafa said to her, "Lady Diana, thank you for your guidance."
"We have received everything we desired, even more than we imagined."
Diana instantly felt something within her dissolve completely, like a sugar cube melting in coffee.
'I have become the true "Psychiatrist."'
Five days later, the Shadow's Sovereignity and part of the Eleventh Chapter's fleet set sail for Vostroya.
At the same time, in the galactic core, Arkhan Land boarded a Squat Fortress Ship.
Though the Squat League generally excluded members of the Mechanicum, Arkhan had gained much on this journey.
Compared to the rejection he faced on Mars for disliking mechanical implants, seen as not drawing closer to the Omnissiah, he was far more welcome among the Squats.
Having mastered over fifty languages by age five, he integrated smoothly into Squat society. He worked alongside miners, extracting precious minerals from the galactic core.
Arkhan assisted the Squats in capturing a star ahead of schedule, becoming the only outsider invited on the journey to Vostroya.
The Squat League was gifting Lord Nareth a star. The Primarch had selected the Vostroya star system as the delivery location.
Filled with curiosity about the Squats' grand journey of towing a star from the galactic core to the northern galaxy, Arkhan naturally did not refuse.
Ordering his attendants to bring his data slates to his quarters, he immediately headed for the bridge.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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