Descending through the atmosphere of Veldari, the transport carrying Jorven was escorted by Imperial fighters towards the headquarters of the Imperial Intelligence Directorate. The structure sprawled across several kilometers, a fortress of surveillance, analysis, and covert operations located in Aeteris. On one of the landing pads, a group of people were waiting, watching as the transport touched down.
A few seconds later, Jorven walked down the ramp, Vael Reth still unconscious and bound with energy restraints behind him. Waiting was Progenitor Varyn and a contingent of his Force Scions. There was a hint of satisfaction in his eyes as the mastermind behind all of the outer colony's resistance had been captured after several months of looking for him.
"If it isn't the man of the hour," Varyn said as Jorven approached. "Take him to section 3 and extract everything he knows." a few of the Force scions grabbed Vael Reth and escorted him into the headquarters.
Varyn stayed with Jorven as they spoke. "This Vael Reth was indeed the mastermind behind the turmoil in the outer colonies. Once I heard his voice, I immediately recognized it from the recordings and knew exactly who he was. Unfortunately for him, he was at the wrong place at the wrong time." Jorven said excited that he was able to find the mastermind during one of his assignments, but still in shock as he was meeting one of the Progenitors face to face.
To the people, the Progenitors was akin to mini-gods under the God-Emperor. They were second only to him and wielded a considerable amount of influence within the Imperium. Meeting just one of them wasn't that much of a shock as you meet at least one during your time as an officer. Plus, the public events where the Progenitors was often seen accompanying the God-Emperor from time to time. But meeting two back-to-back was something most people wouldn't get to do so early in their military career.
Varyn nodded and began to escort Jorven into the building. "You did well Strategist Jorven. The God-Emperor will be pleased with your work." Jorven thanked him as the two parted ways. Jorven went to get debriefed, while Varyn went to deal with their newly acquired prisoner.
Less than twenty-four hours later, a Force Scion trained to use a Force technique which extracts the memories of a particular person, had extracted all the necessary information from Vael Reth.
Combined with existing intelligence, the account was complete: IonForge Technologies was the pivot for military-grade weapons leaked to dissidents across the Outer Colonies, and Vael Reth's pirates posed a threat to the colonial administration under the funding and support system they orchestrated. He confessed under intense interrogation that the manipulated dissent spanned over sixty-six colonized worlds to stir up instability, with the objective of overwhelming Imperial resources until Daimon abandoned the new territories as more trouble than they were worth.
Now that the threads were untangled, Daimon authorized the final phase of Operation Emberlight: full pursuit of remaining conspirators, purges of any cells left in operation, and the neutralization of all flagged non-citizens suspected of sympathizing with the Imperium. Vael Reth's capture would signal the beginning to the end of large-scale pirate activity in the Outer Colonies, allowing stability to return to the region.
One year later:
Imperial Year - 107 (6871 BBY)
Daimon Age: 179
Imperium's Population: 27 Billion
The final months of Operation Emberlight saw the arrest of hundreds of people within the Outer Colonies. The Shroud was exposed, with the last traces edged out and eliminated. High-profile collaborators were executed live across the Imperial HoloNet, serving as a public reminder that no challenge to Imperial authority went unanswered. IonForge stock crashed on the Republic markets following the arrest of numerous executives. Astralis moved quickly to absorb key divisions, especially its lucrative propulsion research, turning the chaos into a strategic victory.
Daimon announced the end of the operation marking the beginning of a new era for the colonies. Each world quickly transformed. Temples were built, and the local populations devoted themselves with renewed fervor to the God-Emperor and the Imperium. The Doctrine Corps redirected its massive influence, inspiring a new generation. The economic boost from pirate-free shipping routes, along with better oversight, brought sudden and immense prosperity.
The colonies saw rapid development once order was firmly re-established. New worlds like Caelix and Ardent Vale, once considered fringe settlers, quickly became thriving centers of lifestyle, culture, and opportunity. The resources from the Outer Rim colonies began to circulate in the inner worlds, bringing new resources among other things while ensuring the outer colonies was not neglected. All of it fell into place like a massive piece of orchestration, playing out exactly as Daimon intended.
On Veldari, Luna had adjusted well to her new routine. She was about to enter the Order of the Balance Keepers as an acolyte, a decision that excited her and gave Daimon pride. Unlike the Jedi Order, age was not a restriction when it came to training in the Order of the Balance Keepers. As long as one had the conviction and displayed their loyalty to the Imperium, they would be accepted and given the resources needed to become a member of the Order.
Elara and Daimon had grown even closer, an equal presence in both his plans and his private life. Unlike his previous life, which was filled with so much pain, he continued to strive for a life of fulfillment where he had as much fun as possible. And right now he was doing just that, only he was bringing that same fulfillment to others.
The Imperium had already surpassed what the Republic and other factions expected from the Gen'Dai, but he still wanted to keep reaching as far as he could. To the Republic, they were not a threat, but just the fact that the Gen'Dai could live for thousands of years, made them a formidable species. Then add on Daimon's boost which allows them to reproduce an increased rate, would make the Gen'Dai a very powerful species in the far future.
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Landing outside a secret facility located on the Fortress world Erebus Prime, a world home to more than 800 million people, Daimon stepped outside of his transport accompanied by Cortana and a few of the Progenitors. In front of them stood a secret facility, created to for Daimon's new vision which involved the formation of the Ascendants.
Unlike the Force Scions, the Ascendants would be people from the population of the Imperium rather than created through the Force. This decision came with the conclusion of the Outer colonies conflict. The Force Scions were powerful due to their ability to use the Force at such a high level and wield other Force powers. However, there were only 10,000 of them spread across 10 different Legions which was not enough for the growing Imperium.
An easy solution to this would be to just create more, but the problem with that involved disturbing the balance within the Force. Artificially creating Force Users rather than allowing them to be naturally created was an unnatural phenomenon that would have unforeseen consequences on the Galaxy. So, to avoid that, the Ascendents would be created as his true version of Space Marines.
Walking into the facility, the guards at the front saluted as Daimon, Cortana, and the Progenitors walked in. The first thing they saw was a long corridor which was tightly watched by 2 Force Scions from Progenitor Darek's Legion. They quickly moved to the side as the door slid open revealing Progenitor Darek himself who greeted Daimon.
"Welcome to Project Ascendant Sir," Greeted Darek with a smile on his face as he was proud of his work. As the Grand Minister of the Imperial Ministry of Health and Genetics, he was the given this grand task and he had executed it to the best of his abilities.
"How many people did we end up bringing in?" Daimon asked as even he was unaware of the number of people who decided to risk their lives for such a thing.
"We managed to get about 200,000 people." Darek answered.
"200,000!" Progenitor Telys was shocked by these numbers. And this was only after a month, imagine how much they would get after a decade or a millennia.
Standing next Telys, Progenitor Malis had a smug expression on his face. "Don't doubt the conviction that the people have for us. With the right direction, they will do anything to get closer to their God." said Malis who had a much better understanding of this topic than the others. As the High Pontifex of the Department of Divine Imperial Doctrine, he oversaw millions of religious leaders across the Imperium.
"And how many of these 200,000 will survive?" Daimon asked.
"1 in 10 may end up surviving the process. It's all up to them whether they themselves are ready to handle such a task." Darek answered confidently certain that a lot of them was not going to make it.
After telling him this, Darek then went over the process which was created by the 10 Progenitors with little help from Daimon. To create an Ascendant, people were first drawn from Imperial worlds no matter their age thanks to the regenerative gene-coding allowing adults and adolescents to be chosen.
After being chosen, they would first have to survive a mind-walk where they would need to retain their sanity in order to pass. They would confront their past, their guilt, their deepest fears. Most would break, and those who did would vanish, their existence swallowed by the Force.
Once those who retained their sanity are left standing, they then go through Stage Two: a 2 year training and transformation regime that begins with the Gene-Covenant Infusion. The surviving candidates now referred to as initiates are immediately brought into sterile sanctums beneath the Erebus Prime facility. This is where Darek's teams of Geneticians and Force-Binders begin their sacred task.
The Ascendant genetic code would be systematically rewritten. This process, was called Genetic Transcendence which integrated three principle components which included regenerative matrices for near-limitless cellular repair, neuroplasticity boosters, allowing for extreme mental adaptability under duress. And lastly, a Force-reactive helix created by Daimon himself, imbuing each Ascendant with a latent tether to the Cosmic Force. This didn't grant them Force abilities but established a connection between the Cosmic Force and their existence.
After this, each legion would receive tailored upgrades based on the Progenitors' doctrines. These come in the form of Covenant Relics that shape the physiology of the person. Those who go through this emerge forever changed.
Stage Three involved the Crucible of Ascension which were ten massive Temples where each Initiate is subjected to psychic trials by their respective Progenitor. These temples are partially sentient constructs, grown from Force-shaped crystal and alloy, capable of manifesting illusions, fears, and truths drawn from the soul.
Those who emerged from the Temples gain subtle and unique powers, nothing like Force powers but more than a mortal would have. These powers included enhanced reflexes, combat foresight, and resistance to Force illusions and other mind tricks.
Stage four was the Rite of Anointment which took place in the Hall of the Godsteel Forge, where the greatest Force Smiths forge the Exoshell of the Ascendants armor. Using force enhanced alloys and ore harvested from Veldari's core and Star fragments drawn from dead stellar remnants, they were able to craft the Force enhanced Exoshell for the Ascendants.
These Exoshell would be bonded to their user through an ability called Force resonance. Once worn, the Exoshell fuses with the Ascendant nervous system and other vital organs.
Alongside this, each person is given the task of crafting their own weapon under the supervision of Force Smiths. Whether it is a blade, hammer, spear, or rifle, each is made with Force enhanced material and infused with Kyber crystals.
Stage five was the Soul-Coding and Indoctrination stage of the process. The Ascendant body may be ready, but the mind must now align fully with Daimon's Will and the Will of the Imperium. Using memory engrams, each person is subjected to an immersive indoctrination that bypasses conscious resistance. The concepts of loyalty, courage, and reverence for the Imperium and its people were binded deep into their subconscious. This was estimated to be a widely successful process with only a few expected to fail.
Stage six was the Binding of the person to a Legion. This happened through a Ceremony of Bonding, led by each Legion's progenitor or their chosen representative. In a sanctified chamber, the Progenitor reaches out and tethers themselves to the Ascendant. Once bound, the Ascendant becomes a true child of their Legion. They feel their comrades' pain and their Progenitors will.
After this process was the last Stage. Stage seven, the Trial by Fire, each Ascendant is deployed in small fireteams to world infested with hostile creatures artificially created by Daimon as a testing grounds. There are no reinforcements, no retreat. And if they return, they do so now hold the title of an Ascendant, welcomed back with full honors and immortalized in the memory vaults of the Imperium.
Daimon personally went to dozens of rooms and met with several of the people who were willing to risk their lives to become an Ascendant. He sat down and talked with the people, getting to know many of them and providing them with some encouragement. For some, simply his presence was all they needed, and their motivation would increase tenfold.
After several hours, Daimon had eventually arrived in another part of the facility. This part was a separate facility built to create the Auric Sentinels. The Auric Sentinels would be similar to the Custodes of Warhammer and would serve as Daimon's new personal guards alongside other Force Scions and Force Users. The Legion name would be the Custarion Aurica and they would go through a similar but more grueling process than the Ascendant.
Seeing them, Daimon was eager to see the results of their transformation. They would become elite warriors designed to be the protectors of the Imperium against overwhelming enemies and as strike forces against hidden insurgents. The main reason for this entire project was to further enhance the Imperium's strength, but another reason was the Republic.
While they were on good terms now, the Republic still had a bigger military, economy, population, and overall size compared to the Imperium. It would take the Imperium thousands of years before they were even on that level. But with his knowledge, Daimon hoped to shorten that time so that once the Canon timeline comes around, they would be ready for whatever chaos would be caused from his presence in the galaxy.
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A/N: Legion names, their doctrines, tactics, and bunch of other stuff will be introduced throughout the story to avoid a massive info dump. Also, I might just make an auxiliary chapter dedicated to just the legions, let me know what you think.
Also I have been quite busy with other stuff which is why Chapters or so slow. I don't really have much time to write.