In this era, the Space Marines were no longer just warriors—they had bee something much more. Sihe sed founding of the army, every Space Marine had embraced the role of a religious knight, akin to the "Padins" of the Middle Ages. heavy power armor, these warriors not only mastered the art of battle and killing but also devoted themselves to the teags of the state religion. Their faith in the Emperor was drilled into them during training and bat alike. Across the Empire, they were known not only as warriors but also as "Brother Astartes."

  The captain raised an eyebrow aured at the man’s t stature, measuring him with a sweeping motion of his hand. “Clearly. Alright, state your name. I’ll o report you to your anding officer or the local enforcer. If you don’t have a good expnation for being here, you’ll face the sequences.”

  “I am Kayvaan Shrike.”

  The captain froze. His eyes widened as he processed the words, and his expression quickly shifted from disbelief to realization. “You… You’re Kayvaan Shrike?” He recovered swiftly, bowing slightly. “Five me, sir. I didn’t reize you at first. My deepest apologies for my earlier tone. We received word of your potential arrival a few days ago, but I never imagined you’d e so soon. Please, e in.”

  Indeed, a dot about Kayvaan had arrived at the local headquarters three days prior. Marked with a red alert, it specified that Kayvaan was not to undergo a sed body modification procedure. At the time, no one uood the note’s significe. Why would anyone need a seodification? Wasn’t the procedure pleted all at once? But seeing Kayvaan in person had begun to crify the mystery. Still, the captain knew better than to ask questions that weren’t his to ask.

  Ihe monastery, the air was heavy with reverehe main hall was an expansive auditorium with one wall covered in intricately painted gss. Sunlight poured through, casting vibrant hues across the room. At the far end stood a massive an, its pipes gleaming in the light. An elderly man in a bck robe sat at the an, his fingers dang over the keys, filling the hall with sacred music.

  The melody was a—a military hymn said to date baythical era. Legends told of soldiers singing it in the quiet moments between battles, drawing strength and soce from its verses to honor the Emperor. “Please wait here,” the captain said, gesturing toward a benear the aisle. “Sir Jacob Keyes will meet with you shortly to expin the procedures and address any s about establishing your Space Marine chapter.” With that, he left.

  Kayvaan and Darius sat on one of the long wooden behe hymn pyed on for another five minutes before it came to a close. The robed man stood, and approached them. His gaze lingered on Kayvaan, a look of quiet curiosity in his eyes. “I am Jacob Keyes,” he introduced himself, “And you must be Sir Kayvaan.”

  “Yes, I am Kayvaan Shrike.”

  Jacob’s eyes softened, and he sighed. “So it’s true. Even after a thousand years, even with the curse that pgues your body, the crow’s genes in you remain unged. Pale skin, bck hair—you are every bit the shadowed guardian the legends spoke of.” He hesitated, then asked, “How should I address you? You appear young, yet you carry the weight of many lifetimes. Should I call you ‘my child,’ as I do the others? Or would ‘elder’ suit you better?”

  “No need for formalities,” Kayvaan said evenly. “Just call me Kayvaan. The world I onew is gone, and past glories mean little now. I am here for my reward: to establish a Space Marine chapter.”

  Jaodded, his expression solemn. “Of course. We must follow protocol, even for someone like you. May I see the necessary dots?”

  “I carry the Emperor’s ission,” Kayvaan said, reag into his cloak.

  Jacob raised a hand. “Not here. Let’s move to a more private setting. Follow me.” He led them to a hidden door at the back of the auditorium. Behind it y a peaceful porch overlooking a small courtyard. To the right, floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the spa natural light. To the left, a ly trimmed wn stretched out, dotted with round wooden tables and sturdy chairs.

  “Please, have a seat. Would you like tea or coffee?” Jacob asked, gesturing to the chairs.

  “Tea, thank you,” Kayvaan replied.

  “Coffee for me,” Darius added.

  Jaodded and disappeared briefly, returning with a silver tray. On it sat a polished teapot, a small coffee pot, and two round cups. The aroma of freshly brewed tea and coffee wafted through the courtyard as he poured.

  "Please five my little hobby," Jacob said with a warm smile. "When I was young, I didn’t care about such things. But at this age, I find myself finding joy in small things, like this peaceful enviro."

  Kayvaan ihe aroma of the tea and took a careful sip. "This is excellent tea. But let’s not dance around the reason I’m here."

  Jacob’s eyes twinkled with amusement. "Straight to the point, theablishing a brand-neter."

  "I don’t have the patieo waste time,"Kayvaan said with a grin.

  Jaodded. "Fair enough. A loyal soldier of the empire wouldn’t have time to waste on idle chatter. But before we delve into the details, let me mention something about this tea you seem to enjoy so much. The coffee beans and bck tea both e from Kantarra, an agricultural world renowned for its tea gene pool. The fi in the gaxy, I assure you."

  Jacob’s tone grew more serious as he shifted to the topic at hand. "Now, about your mission. F a neter isn’t a simple task. The Raven Guard, for instance, suffered devastating losses during the Great Rebellion. Their legion’s Gene seeed was almost obliterated. Rebuilding something like that is no small feat. When the empire faces such a crisis, they assign think tank curators to mahe remnants of the gene pool. These curators will swear loyalty to you, but uand this: while they’ll oversee the process, the actual work of rest the gene is yours alone. her the empire nor headquarters offer much help."

  Kayvaan nodded solemnly. "I uand. I’ll find a way to ha."

  Jacob tinued, his tone measured. "The gene-seed, as you might already know, serves as the foundation for crafting Astartes. Think of it as a sacred tempte, imbued with the geic legacy of the Emperor’s Primarchs—a relimeasurable value and potential. Uhe chaotidomness of human birth, the gene-seed ehat those chosen to bear it are elevated far beyond ordinary mortals. It instills them with strength, resilience, and the traits necessary to embody the Emperor's will. For a neter, safeguarding and cultivating this geic legacy will be yreatest responsibility—and ygest challenges."

  Kayvaan absorbed the information silently, but Jacob wasn’t finished. "That’s not the only challenge you’ll face, either."

  "Oh?" Kayvaan prompted.