Chapter 923 - 922: The Maximum Forces I Can Command Exceed Six Hundred Thousand

Aboard the Shadow's Sovereignty, in the Primarch's office.

Arsena, holding a datapad, reported to the Black Emperor.

"My Lord, following Your command, I have compiled the strength of each Chapter."

"To date, the Legion has three hundred and ninety-three thousand one hundred and sixty Shadows of Order."

Nareth recalled that in 900.M30, the Legion had numbered two hundred and seventy-nine thousand six hundred and thirty, a growth rate of about forty point six percent.

He also remembered that in his memory, the Ultramarines had numbered one hundred and sixty-six thousand in 900.M30, and two hundred and fifty thousand before the Heresy, a growth rate of about fifty percent.

'The Ultramarines haven't fought any major wars in over a century.'

'In that time, I've fought the Hrud, Wheel of Fire, "Terra," the Orks of the Grail Abyss driven by Tzeentch, the Aeldar craftworld Magc'Sithraal, the Ark Reach Cluster, the Olamic Quietude, the Khrave, Gate Forty-two, Murder, and other brutal campaigns. A growth rate like this is already good.'

'If I hadn't gained the thirty-six thousand two hundred and seventy-four from the 2nd Legion, the Legion wouldn't be this size.'

As Nareth reflected, Arsena, his face full of pride, continued.

"Following Your command a century ago, I took every opportunity. During the Ork invasion from the Grail Abyss, I inflated the actual casualties from nine thousand four hundred and thirteen to twenty-five thousand six hundred."

"To conceal the existence of regions like 'Terra,' the Olamic Quietude, and the Ark Reach Cluster, I reported no casualties to the War Council."

"In the eyes of the Warmaster and other parties, the Shadows of Order numbers two hundred and thirty-seven thousand four hundred."

"Well done." Nareth praised him. Arsena had maximized the plausibility of the inflated casualty reports.

The hidden one hundred and fifty-five thousand seven hundred and sixty warriors already exceeded the total strength of twelve Legions before the Heresy.

Underestimating his forces would lead to faulty strategic planning by his enemies.

Arsena chuckled. "I hope I won't have to scrutinize every number like this anymore."

He had not only to conceal their actual size, but also adjust logistics and other related matters to prevent the Imperium's other factions from detecting their true scale.

Arsena continued, his tone light: "The largest Chapter is the Tenth, with forty thousand eight hundred warriors."

The Tenth Chapter had absorbed the forces of the 2nd Legion and had participated in almost every campaign of the past century.

Nareth had altered their minds and memories, forging them into Shadows of Order through war.

Although some still retained Hannibal's habit of consuming flesh, they had integrated easily enough into the culture of the "Rose Bishops", who commonly consumed xenos.

"The Eleventh Chapter is the second largest, with thirty-seven thousand four hundred Shadows of Order."

"The smallest is the Twelfth Chapter, with twenty-five thousand nine hundred."

'The availability of primary recruiting worlds really does have a major impact on Chapter size.' Nareth thought.

'The 11th Chapter, with Vostroya and Aventinum as its main recruiting grounds, has always been the largest among my gene-sons.'

'Tanith has a smaller population, and the Twelfth Chapter has been the smallest since the Tenth Chapter absorbed the Faceless.'

Having confirmed his Legion's strength, Nareth, combined with his memories of each Legion's strength, the effects of his interventions, and War Council reports, analyzed the opposing forces for the Heresy.

Loyalists: The Ultramarines are the "largest" Legion, at two hundred and fifty thousand.

Nareth sensed Roboute Guilliman had been spurred on by something. Even without absorbing the 2nd Legion and some of the original 11th, as in his memory, he had still grown his Legion to two hundred and fifty thousand.

'Gren's 1st and 22nd Chapters, composed of Terrans, number nineteen thousand six hundred. They are forces I can command.'

In his memory, the Dark Angels were slightly under two hundred thousand. Without serving as the main force in the Rangdan War, they might have surpassed the Ultramarines.

But Lion El'Jonson, perhaps spurred by Luther, had launched even more aggressive crusades against xenos across the galaxy, leading to a total strength of about two hundred and ten to two hundred and thirty thousand.

The Blood Angels, because Nareth had participated in the Defense of Helioret against craftworld Magc'Sithraal, had eighty-one hundred more warriors than the one hundred and twenty thousand in his memory.

Though Nareth had claimed Ferrus Manus's greatest achievement, Gardinaal, the Iron Hands had suffered fewer casualties, as he had used the Ultramarines as cannon fodder. They were slightly stronger than the one hundred and thirteen thousand in his memory, by about two thousand.

The Imperial Fists, because Nareth had taken the Coronid Abyss and thus not fought the Mitus, had increased from one hundred thousand in his memory to one hundred and sixteen thousand.

The Space Wolves had also benefited from Nareth's participation in the Wheel of Fire campaign, and his solo campaigns in the Ark Reach Cluster and against the Olamic Quietude.

In his memory, the Wolves numbered ninety-five to one hundred thousand before the Heresy. Now, they had risen to one hundred and nine thousand.

'I've been too good to Russ. The Wolves have benefited greatly. Their reduced casualties are the third-highest among the loyalists.'

Nareth had invited Jaghatai to participate in the Third Rangdan War, increasing the White Scars' casualties. However, the Shadows of Order had also participated in the war against the Nephilim, and had replaced them in liberating Drune.

The White Scars' strength was slightly higher than the ninety-five thousand in his memory, at ninety-six thousand.

'I've taken control of Hasik Noyan-khan, Torgun Khan, and Agulo-khan. Though this cost Jaghatai thirteen thousand sons, it also prevented them from being swayed by Horus, and averted civil war within the Legion.'

The Salamanders' and Raven Guard's strength was unaffected by him, remaining at eighty-nine thousand and eighty thousand respectively.

'Of the Raven Guard, I can only directly control Alastor's company of one thousand.'

Traitors: The Word Bearers, though believed to be only one hundred and fifty thousand, actually number close to two hundred and fifty thousand.

Moreover, because Nareth had taken the Ark Reach Cluster, the Word Bearers hadn't fought there, so their numbers might be even higher.

'I've taken control of Zardu Layak. He now commands three Chapters of three thousand warriors, up from the Quillborns' one thousand.'

The Iron Warriors, because the Emperor had given him Incaladion, had not lost twenty-nine thousand warriors. They hadn't been decimated, nor had they fought the Hrud. Though they had fought the Squats at the galactic core, their numbers had grown significantly.

They numbered one hundred and ninety-four thousand, up from the one hundred and fifty to one hundred and eighty thousand in his memory.

Nareth recalled reports from Szczesny and Archmagos Neto of Incaladion that Perturabo had brutally suppressed the Olympia rebellion. He knew the Lord of Iron had been crushed by the Emperor's indifference.

'He hasn't replied to our communications. It's very likely he will side with Horus.'

'It's difficult to win over a Primarch, but I'm not in a hurry. He will see that Horus also uses him as a tool, and become disillusioned. Then, I will forgive his betrayal, and he will be grateful.'

'I hope my new beyonder abilities after advancing to "Count of the Fallen" can ensure Perturabo's loyalty.'

Nareth continued his analysis: The Warmaster's Sons of Horus, because he had taken "Terra" and Orios, and participated in the Liberation of Drune and the Murder campaign, numbered more than the one hundred and thirty to one hundred and seventy thousand in his memory, at about one hundred and eighty-nine thousand.

'However, without the two STCs he would have gotten from Orios, his alliance with Kelbor-Hal's faction won't be as solid.'

'After all, the Mechanicum are pragmatic.'

'What will Horus do to secure it? The Vaults of Moravec... he would have given that too...'

Nareth guessed, then smiled.

'The World Eaters number one hundred and fifty thousand, just as in my memory. I've taken control of one-third.'

The Night Lords strength is also as in his memory, at one hundred and twenty thousand.

'Zso Sahaal's company is one thousand... hmm, I haven't been able to take much from them, as I've had almost no contact with Curze.'

The Emperor's Children's 2nd Company, having not fought under Ferrus at Gardinaal, and with the Murder campaign ending early, numbered slightly more than the one hundred and ten thousand in his memory, by about five thousand.

'Akurduana is still alive, and is one of the eleven Lord Commanders. With Lucius, they should be able to influence nearly ten thousand.'

The Death Guard, because he had participated in the Liberation of Drune, numbered closer to one hundred thousand, up from the ninety-five thousand in his memory.

The Alpha Legion, because he had recovered Omegon early, indirectly causing the Legion to appear in the Imperium's sights earlier, had been able to recruit more aggressively. Their numbers were certainly larger than in his memory, but Nareth couldn't be sure of their exact size.

In his memory, the Alpha Legion's strength ranged widely, between ninety thousand and one hundred and eighty thousand.

Though the "Dreamwalker" Pat and his Chaplains had already begun "Modifying the Dreams" of the infiltrating Alphas, making them believe they were loyal Shadows of Order spying on the Alpha Legion, even they didn't know the Legion's true size.

The Thousand Sons,though they had fought the Squats at the galactic core and in the Second Rangdan War because of his intervention, had not fought in the . Their total strength still reached ninety thousand, higher than the eighty to eighty-five thousand in his memory.

'I can influence one-third of the Dark Angels and one-ninth of the Thousand Sons. Ideally, the forces I can potentially influence across various Legions number about one hundred and seventy-six thousand.'

'Add to that the Carcharodons, exiled by Corax, with thirteen thousand, and the Ashen Claws with eleven thousand, the maximum I could potentially mobilize is six hundred and three thousand.'

'Six hundred thousand.'

Nareth was startled by the number.

Six hundred thousand was nearly one hundred thousand more than the combined strength of the two largest Legions on either side, which totaled just over five hundred thousand.

And this didn't even account for the over twenty-two thousand warriors he had gained from the two Legions.

'Thinking about it this way, I really can fight on multiple fronts at once.'

He calmed his excitement and continued his analysis.

'Hmm... mobilizing all of them won't be easy.

'Those who directly command their own warriors, like Akurduana, are fine. But the Dark Angels are problematic. The Lion has scattered them across the galaxy, and most of those I've influenced are on Caliban. I can't directly command the Dark Angels raised from the "corroded" gene-seed.'

'I'll have to find a way to impose my will on them when the time comes.'

As Nareth pondered, Arsena walked to the cogitator, picking up his control rod.

"My Lord, I have also compiled a summary of the territories under the Legion's control-"

"Arsena, I'll hear the rest of your report later." The "Mentor of Disorder's" eyes deepened.

"We have an unexpected guest."

....

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