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Chapter 284: Cypher Being Targeted
🕑 Added 2025-09-09 12:36:22 +0000 UTCChapter 284: Cypher Being Targeted
Vect was tempted.
The conditions Lemire had laid out were, it had to be said, very generous. The Harlequins held a unique status among the Eldar. If they were to publicly support him, his own position would be further solidified. And if, as Lemire claimed, the Zerg truly came from this human, Lucan... then he had every reason to retaliate against this provocation.
Vect agreed to Lemire's request. Soon, with Vect's deliberate dissemination, the news that the Harlequins were supporting him spread throughout all of Commorragh. Vect didn't care if the Eldar race was unified; he hated the old Eldar Empire. He cared only for his own power, and for now, this cooperation was beneficial to him. Even without the Laughing God's command, the fact that the Zerg were undermining his rule was enough to make Vect want Lucan dead.
The Harlequins began to use their own unique skills and infiltration techniques to search the lower levels for Abathur's location. The whereabouts of the Ynnari forces in the Webway were also leaked to Vect.
Under Vect's orders, Kabal after Kabal began to leave Commorragh en masse. Using the Webway, they traveled to the Koronus Expanse. Some headed for the human-held planets within the sector, while others went to hunt the Ynnari. Vect opened the treasure vaults he had accumulated over his long life. A vast arsenal of advanced weaponry from the time of the Eldar Empire, along with massive amounts of resources, was taken out to arm his Kabals.
In an instant, a flood of reports detailing large-scale raids began to pour into Agathos.
At that same time, Lucan returned to his capital. His fleet conducted a series of continuous warp jumps and quickly returned to the long-unseen Agathos.
In the less than two years he had been gone, Agathos had once again undergone considerable development. The appearance of the trading platform had multiplied the number of merchant ships coming and going by several times. An astronomical amount of cargo was being delivered or shipped out, and the planet's total population had nearly doubled.
But despite the expanding population, the planet's natural environment had not suffered much damage. Looking down from orbit, one could still see a vibrant green. Industry and ecology, under the blessing of advanced technology, had struck a rare balance. Many other planetary factions within the Koronus Sector were now trying to replicate Agathos's success. Under the advocacy of the Mongorte Dynasty, the Koronus Expanse was experiencing an unprecedented period of prosperity.
Scions of noble houses, who had graduated from Agathos's Loyalist Academy, had returned to their home worlds. To a certain extent, they began to replicate the edicts of the Mongorte Dynasty. Although it was impossible to sufficiently indoctrinate these heirs in such a short time, the knowledge and ideas they had learned still influenced the entire Expanse. This led to a significant improvement in the lives of many common people in the sector. The Dynasty also did not permit the existence of cruel tyrants among its vassals.
In orbit above the planet, several massive new starports and space elevators had been built just to meet the current demand. The defensive platforms in the void were now so dense that they could ensure the safety of the entire system. Just breaking through these defenses alone would be enough to consume an entire enemy fleet.
"Are you certain this is your Dynasty's capital? Not even Macragge can compare to this now..." Ferrus said, staring out the viewport at Agathos below.
"It's alright, I guess," Lucan replied casually. "It's still a ways off from what I envisioned. At least the citizens of my Dynasty live decent lives. After all, this was once what I imagined for the Third..."
"The third what?"
"Nothing, nothing..." Lucan sighed, thankful that Ferrus had died early and didn't know about his other three brothers...
When they actually arrived on the surface, Ferrus finally understood what Lucan meant by "a decent life." He had never seen such a standard of living anywhere in the Imperium. Even Ultramar, the pinnacle of the Imperium, could not compare. The active commercial atmosphere meant that the residents here had other avenues to obtain great wealth outside of their normal work, and this wealth allowed them to improve their lives.
Ferrus had to marvel at Lucan's incredible wealth. Maintaining such a standard of living consumed a vast amount of resources. Had it been Guilliman, he would never have invested so much in civilian quality of life; he would have rather built more wargear.
Lucan left Ferrus in orbit to await the arrival of the main Iron Hands fleet. The Iron Hands would be an important asset in the coming war.
Returning to his palace, Lucan immediately granted an audience to Rebecca and Cypher. As soon as Cypher saw him, he spoke with impatience.
"Lord Lucan, you once said you could resurrect the great Lion."
Before Lucan could speak, Rebecca stepped forward with a grim expression, cutting Cypher off.
"Lord Lucan, while I should not question your decisions, Lord Cypher's presence here has indeed caused us a great deal of trouble."
"Trouble?"
"Yes. A Dark Angels warship has entered the Expanse. It ignored our warnings and forcibly entered planetary space to conduct a search. They have even clashed with our defense forces. Because of their special status, the Dynasty has not responded aggressively. But if they find out Lord Cypher is here, what do we do if they try to forcibly invade Agathos? Are we to fire back?"
Lucan had not told Rebecca the secret of the Second Imperium, but he had told her about the conflict between Cypher and the Dark Angels, warning her to watch out for their possible appearance.
Hearing this, Lucan felt a headache coming on. What Cypher had done in the Agripinaa Sector could not possibly have been hidden from those fanatics. Lucan had even helped Cypher expand the influence of the "Emperor's Voice" cult to protect the civilian population from Nurgle's plagues. Those Dark Angels had noses better than bloodhounds when it came to finding the Fallen. And Cypher, the number one Fallen Angel, had just so happened to be in an area occupied by Lucan's Raiders.
Lucan knew the Dark Angels already suspected him. He figured the only reason they hadn't already attacked was a sign of their restraint. Those Black-armored knights surely had their own unique methods for hunting the Fallen; otherwise, how could their Deathwing and Ravenwing find them so quickly?
If they ever confirmed Cypher was on Agathos, Lucan had no doubt they would stop at nothing to kill him. Even with Lucan's current prestige, they would not hesitate. Those fanatics had dared to storm the Imperial Palace itself to kill Cypher; attacking an allied force to protect their secret was just business as usual for them. Nothing was more important than maintaining their secret.
With his current strength, Lucan wasn't afraid of the Dark Angels, even if they were a First Founding Chapter.
"I hope they don't go too far, Rebecca. If they do make any overly aggressive moves, we have no need to hold back. So what if they're a First Founding Chapter? I will not tolerate a situation where they kill my people and I am forced to swallow the insult."
Receiving Lucan's reply, Rebecca smiled. She had originally been concerned about their status, but with Lucan's support, she no longer needed to hold back.
"Cypher," Lucan said, turning to him, "it seems your brothers are targeting you. The resurrection of the Lion cannot be rushed. Just because you believe me doesn't mean they will. You know their attitude. Now is not the right time. I resurrected Guilliman and brought back Ferrus. You should trust that I have the ability."
Lucan's words were, of course, an excuse. He had no idea where the Lion was currently sleeping. But, counting the time, he would probably wake up on his own in a few years anyway.
"Very well... I understand," Cypher conceded. "There is one more thing I must tell you. My angels within the Red Corsairs tell me that Huron is absorbing the remnants of the Black Legion. After the failure at Cadia, and without Abaddon to unite them, the entire Black Legion has shattered. A large number of their warbands have been absorbed by Huron.
"The Red Corsairs are now on a scale far beyond what they were. All signs indicate that the Chaos Gods are beginning to contact Huron. The Red Corsairs are now arguably the largest single Chaos force in the warp. And Huron is ordering his men to find Blackstone... You must be wary of them."
The movements of the Red Corsairs had prompted Cypher to warn Lucan.
"Blackstone... just as I thought," Lucan mused. "But Huron is much smarter than Abaddon. The war for Cadia just failed; he won't be launching another large-scale invasion anytime soon. Even just integrating his new forces will take time. Madmen who worship Chaos are not so easily managed. But Cypher, the Dark Angels are already here. I cannot guarantee that I can hide your tracks completely. Why don't you leave the Expanse for a while and lie low? As it happens, I have a new mission that is perfect for you."
