Standard Terra Calendar : 372nd Year of M31
World Name: Limnos III
Segmentum: Ultima Segmentum
Sector: The Grand Vortex
System: Limnos System
Population: 1 to 3 million
Affiliation: Imperium of Man
Type: Feudal World
Tithe: Fourth Year – Tax Exemption
The Sword-class frigate floated silently in orbit around a world named Limnos III.
This ancient warship had weathered countless storms and undergone numerous repairs—at least before its capture by the Iron Warriors.
In the command bridge's conference room, as battered as the spacecraft's exterior, stood twenty-two Astartes from Atreus Longinus's warband.
They were seated around a round table, while mechanical servitors offered each a goblet filled with an unknown red liquid.
Atreus quickly turned on the holographic projector, standing upright in front of the device, facing his brothers.
A bluish planet with yellow glints materialized instantly behind him.
"This is the world of Limnos III, the third planet of the Limnos System. It has a decent-sized moon and three main continents. The land surface accounts for 31.53% of the total area, and the planet is predominantly mountainous," he said in a calm voice.
The Iron Warriors squad leader began a briefing on Limnos III—a world the former occupant of his body had already studied extensively.
For what purpose?
To escape the influence of his gene-father and establish his own warband.
"The main continent of Limnos is governed by several feudal kingdoms and dynasties, supported by numerous vassals. The current ruler of the most powerful dynasty is the planetary governor, appointed to this position by the former Iron Warriors," he continued, presenting the data on this medieval world.
During the Great Crusade, the Space Marines didn't just conquer technologically advanced worlds.
They also encountered civilizations that had regressed—some as far back as the Stone Age.
Limnos III, however, had fared relatively well: a feudal but stable world, with a certain level of civility… at least in Atreus's opinion.
"They are also far from Terra's influence and haven't encountered xenos since the end of the Dark Age of Technology…" he thought, reviewing the data on this future stronghold.
"One of the other two continents lies in the arctic regions, perpetually encased in ice and rarely visited. The inhabitants of the third continent are more primitive—barbarians clad in animal hides, wielding weapons of stone and bone. The planet's total population ranges between one and three million souls, with no trace of chaotic corruption or mutation."
Atreus emphasized this last point.
He despised the use of Warp-related arts, except when strictly necessary—like for the ship's Navigator.
He had thus paid particular attention to the psychic aspect of this world he intended to conquer.
After all, it would be unfortunate if a population overly sensitive to the Warp turned Limnos III into a daemon world.
A single unregistered psyker could be enough to doom an entire planet.
"The technology on the main continent is only just beginning to solidify; in other words, the Planetary Defense Force still relies on spears, bows, and arrows. That's the overall state of Limnos III. And I intend to make it our homeworld," he concluded.
The hologram flickered off.
Atreus scanned the Astartes present.
He awaited their reactions, their doubts—legitimate ones.
Though respected, he hadn't assembled his warband through force.
All these Space Marines were weary… weary of being the dogs of the Primarchs and their father.
They sought another path—neither that of the Corpse-Emperor nor that of a Warp daemon.
Their choice of Atreus as leader stemmed from his experience, his victories, and his recent title of Iron Lord, earned during the Steel Cage Campaign.
An honorable title, reserved for the most deserving Iron Warriors.
Yet, this man had chosen to desert with a small group of brothers rather than follow Perturabo into the Eye of Terror.
"Does any of you, my brothers, have questions?"
A low voice rose from a nearby seat.
"Iron Lord, why leave the Eye of Terror to travel to the Grand Vortex sector to find a homeworld? It's sparsely populated, technologically backward… and above all, it still belongs to the Corpse-Emperor," declared Warnaby, his tone calm but firm.
He wasn't challenging Atreus's authority, but the Iron Warriors always prioritized logic above all.
He wanted to understand why this world, and not another, safer one within the Eye of Terror.
Atreus fixed his gaze on him.
Warnaby… a former tactical squad captain who had joined his warband after the near-total destruction of his unit.
A tragic but common fate in this unforgiving universe.
By the end of the Steel Cage Campaign, he had ended up serving under Atreus—proof that he recognized the Iron Lord's superiority.
To Atreus, Warnaby was a good warrior… but a poor leader.
Beyond his martial qualities, Warnaby had a sharp mind, adept at forging strong bonds with his battle-brothers.
It was precisely for this reason that Atreus deemed him worthy of speaking during meetings.
"The planets in the Eye of Terror are all more or less corrupted, and their inhabitants have suffered severe mutations. This makes them unsuitable to serve as fresh blood for our future Astartes legion," Atreus said, his voice betraying no hint of frustration.
A Space Marine legion is vastly different from a chapter.
The former has no real numerical limit, while the latter is restricted to a thousand battle-brothers per the Codex Astartes.
'Roboute Guilliman has surely already prepared the Second Founding since Rogal Dorn survived Perturabo's trap during the Steel Cage War…' the Iron Warrior analyzed.
The use of the Codex Astartes didn't repulse him.
On the contrary, this tool was not incompatible with Atreus's vision for the future.
He even deemed it necessary to prevent future internal rebellions within his legion, caused by an officer corrupted by the Warp.
Despite all his thoughts of the future, the Iron Lord didn't lose the thread of the conversation.
"There's also the fact that there are far too many warbands in the Eye of Terror; the best positions simply don't fall to us. *sigh* With our current forces, we cannot hold worlds equipped with planetary shields or orbital defenses for long.
More importantly… the Imperium likely doesn't even know this world exists."
The last sentence was spoken in an almost reassuring tone.
Atreus casually tossed a damaged parchment onto the table before continuing after a brief pause:
"This is what I found in the archives of Perturabo's Iron Warriors Legion. It's this document that led me to consider this option. During the Great Crusade, this world was conquered by our Legion, under the command of our predecessors. At that time, the Primarch had not yet returned to them.
A squad of Astartes landed, met the local king… and the matter was settled in minutes.
A few dozen Space Marines against natives armed with wooden sticks.
The king immediately swore allegiance to the Imperium, and our brothers left behind a small administrative contingent before departing."
Atreus shrugged, as if to emphasize the banality of this forgotten conquest.
"The Imperium did consider collecting a tithe because of that damned Departmento Munitorum, created by Malcador… but this world had nothing to offer.
No food, no weapons, no industrial goods. Perhaps some minerals underground, but without the necessary extraction equipment, it was impossible to gain anything from it," he explained in a serious tone.
As a transmigrator, Atreus understood the urgency that weighed on the Emperor's mind during the Great Crusade.
The man with divine powers had to unify humanity while the Warp cooled after the surge of energy caused by Slaanesh's birth.
Beyond unification, the Master of Mankind sought a way to permanently sever the link between the Warp and humanity.
The Webway of the Eldar, damaged during Slaanesh's birth, was the key.
A special dimension, between the Warp and reality… but the Emperor failed in both endeavors.
'Horus and Lorgar…'the Iron Warrior thought bitterly.
He despised his predecessor for following such fools. But the damage was done.
In this world, he was but a traitor—and he would have to play that role until the end.
After all, the Imperium wasn't known for its mercy.
"As for recruitment sources, the Imperium preferred to draw from the nearest Hive Cities rather than venture to a lost world in the Grand Vortex sector.
And since it could neither serve as a supply point nor offer strategic value, the Departmento simply adjusted the tithe to the fourth degree… before slowly forgetting it.
The corresponding archives are likely buried under mountains of parchment or burned during the Battle of Terra."
Atreus's contemptuous tone when mentioning the Departmento Munitorum didn't go unnoticed.
That institution was dreadfully slow and bureaucratic, but even Malcador couldn't have done better.
Managing an empire of millions of worlds without artificial intelligence was nothing short of a miracle.
The old Sigillite had already achieved a feat by creating the Departmento Munitorum, even if its efficiency remained questionable.
"If I hadn't found this document in our former Legion's archives, this world would likely have remained in obscurity.
As for the administrative personnel left behind by our brothers back then… they're no longer an issue. Centuries have passed, and their descendants are now part of the local nobility."
Atreus even suspected that the notion of the "Imperium" was now considered a legend on Limnos III, recounted in a few history books.
"I understand better, lord. While Warp storms are frequent here, the region remains more stable than the Eye of Terror. And we're still in a sector far from the Imperium of Man's influence, where resources abound. Whether through plundering or self-exploitation, it'll be much simpler," declared a veteran Space Marine after hearing all the explanations.
"Indeed, if both sides are unstable, it's better to fight here than for corrupted, doomed planets. The opportunities are far greater, aren't they?"
Filon, a battle-brother clad in silver-gray power armor, looked up at Atreus for confirmation.
The steel cables and tentacles connected to his backpack betrayed his identity: a Chain-Forger, also known as a senior Techmarine.
But what distinguished him most was his charcoal-black breastplate and his two blood-red eyes glowing in the shadows.
"Exactly, Brother Filon… Does anyone else have something to add?"
Atreus waited ten seconds to ensure there was no opposition to his vision for their group's future.
Fortunately, silence hung over the room.
All would march by his side in this adventure, one that would shake the galaxy of tomorrow.