The Phalanx
A/N If anyone knows how many men could fit on the Phalanx, that would be greatly appreciated. I will only mention the 10k Custodes in this chapter. Maybe someone knows.
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(3rd Person POV)
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The Phalanx ...
In the present day of Warhammer 40k, the Phalanx is the massive starship that serves as the mobile fortress-monastery of the Imperial Fists Space Marine Chapter and was constructed many millennia ago by unknown hands during the Dark Age of Technology long before the Age of the Imperium.
The Age of Technology, informally often referred to as the "Dark Age of Technology," was the zenith of Humanity's scientific knowledge and technological prowess in the Milky Way Galaxy, which lasted from the 15th Millennium A.D. until the onset of the Age of Strife in the 25th Millennium.
It saw the development of the first true Human interstellar civilisation and the birth of some form of stellar confederation centred on the Human homeworld of Terra. Even tens of millennia later, Mankind has not been able to equal or regain its former height of achievement attained in this era.
The Phalanx itself is gigantic, the largest starship known to have been constructed by Human hands, and something of its magnitude has not been seen since the Age of Technology. The size of a small moon, its foredeck can dock a dozen Imperial Navy cruisers around its circumference.
The vessel is essentially a hive city in space, with its great spires reaching towards the stars, giving it the appearance of a giant mace-head. In many ways, the Phalanx is the only vessel ever built by Mankind that comes close in size and complexity to that of the Aeldari's Craftworlds.
A Craftworld is a vast, planetoid-sized spacecraft populated by the Asuryani faction of the highly advanced humanoid species known as the Aeldari. The Craftworlds travel through the void of space at sublight speeds, carrying the greater remnant of the Aeldari species after their Fall.
Each Craftworld is a self-sufficient, independent realm with its own distinctive culture. Every Craftworld is built upon a skeleton of psychoactive, crystalline wraithbone whose structure extends throughout the gigantic voidcraft. A similar skeletal core lies at the heart of most Asuryani constructions and every one of their spacecraft.
In function, this core is similar to the blood vessels and nervous system of a living creature, pumping life-giving energy around the body and also transmitting the psychic impulses that coordinate its many functions. The Craftworld is basically a planet-sized living spaceship.
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Coming back to the Phalanx. While it isn't as large as an Aeldari Craftworld, the Phalanx is so large that it reflects light like the stars themselves, and it served as a symbolic representation of the Emperor Himself during the time of the Great Crusade. The vast starship is completely mobile and capable of travelling through the Warp and often follows the Imperial Fists Chapter as it moves throughout the galaxy.
There are various descriptions of the general shape and exterior character of the great starship. These include a structure of "towering forests of spires interlaced with flying buttresses" or a structure that leads observers to believe Phalanx "might have been a planetoid or minor moon."
It is also described as a ship that is "many kilometres long, triangular in cross-section with its upper surface bristling with weapons and sensorium domes. Two wings swept back from the hull, trailing directional vanes like long gilded feathers. Every surface was clad in solid armour plating and every angle was covered by more torpedo tubes and lance batteries than any Imperial battleship could muster" and with "thousands of battle-honours and campaign markings all over the beak-like prow."
The Phalanx is essentially a mobile, pre-Imperial battle station that serves as both the Imperial Fists' Chapter homeworld and their foremost warship. In form and scale, it is nearer a planetoid than a conventional vessel; it is a mighty cathedral of war that dwarfs the largest Battle Barge and wields the firepower of a formidable fleet.
The secrets of Phalanx's construction are long-forgotten, though it is known that the Primarch Rogal Dorn brought it into the Emperor's service at the time of their first meeting, and it has performed proudly ever since. While Neoth our main character has all the knowledge of the original Emperor, it seems like even the Big E only had an idea about how it was constructed. Our MC, on the other hand, knows how to go about it to reverse engineer the Phalanx. That is something he will do without a doubt. Neoth has a lot of information about all kinds of Xenos and their technology. The Aeldari were at their peak when the Emperor was already alive, so he naturally knew about them.
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On Earth, many different gods looked up into the sky, as they saw another construct appear which was as large as the moon. Some of the most powerful ones, knew what was going on, even if they couldn't explain how it appeared there. They could feel the power of the young god from the Greek Pantheon inside the large structure. None of them did anything about it. Ouranos was dead, and the rest was none of their concern.
Neoth looks at the Phalanx which appeared out of nowhere. He smiles seeing the massive structure and the implications of this. The stars would be explored and the Solar System conquered. The great crusade would surely happen in the future and Neoth would grow more powerful and influential. With a thought, Neoth appeared inside the Departure Bay.
Living aboard the mobile fortress-monastery, it was easy to forget that the Phalanx was the size of a small moon ... it was too easy when living onboard to forget the sheer immenseness of the fortress-monastery.
When one stepped into the Departure Bay, though, one was immediately reminded not only that they were in a space-borne vessel, but that the Phalanx was immense on a scale that was difficult for a rational mind to comprehend. On the other side of the bay, so far away that the sight of it hazed with the distance, were the bay doors which opened out onto the cold vacuum of the void, before which there was a lot of space where hundreds of Thunderhawk gunships, Imperial shuttles and other such craft in their hundreds would be placed and ready for action.
The departure hall is so large that it has developed its own microclimate, separate from the artificial environment which prevails throughout the rest of the mobile fortress-monastery, and there are strains of avian life forms, roosting up in the rafters and onboard those ancient and honoured craft hanging from them, that had evolved into entirely novel forms and physiologies over the millennia, unseen by human eyes. This was surprising since Neoth summoned it and it was brand new. So the Essence provided these creatures already. Not that Neoth minded, of course, these animals might prove useful.
"We greet the God Emperor!" x10'000
The sound of 10'000 fully armed and battle-ready Adeptus Custodes is heard as they present themselves before their Emperor. The entire Phalanx is fully manned and operational making the total number of humans on board range in the hundreds of thousands. Neoth looks at them and in a matter of milliseconds chooses 20 among them whom he gives the mental command to step forward. The 20 Custodes step in front of Neoth and immediately kneel on the ground.
"My loyal soldiers. Among all 10'000 of you, I have decided to grant you 20 the option of becoming something different, not something more or more important, but different.
In the millennia to come, we will wage many wars and battles, across the galaxy and the universe as a whole. For that purpose, I will create my Primarchs."
Neoth addressed the 20 Custodes in front of him, but he made all of the others also hear what he was saying. His voice seemingly travelled a great distance without him shouting.
He had chosen those 20 Adeptus Custodes to be his first batch of Primarchs. The problem with the Primarchs was that they were corruptible and brought terrible destruction upon their fellow humans. But this won't happen with the Custodes, as they are 100%, absolutely loyal to Neoth.
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The Primarchs were bred to be perfect generals, warriors and statesmen; larger, stronger, faster, and smarter than any normal Human could ever hope to be. They possessed a potent charisma and martial prowess that made them like the mythical gods of old, untouchable by disease, old age or supposedly the petty failings of lesser men.
The Emperor intended to raise His sons to be the best military commanders and political leaders in Human history. They would bring the Imperial Truth to the rest of the Human-settled galaxy in their father's name, serving as His generals and proconsuls.
This time it was a bit different. Neoth had the ability to raise 20 men to the level of a Primarch.
Now imagine what would happen, if he were to use this ability on 20 fully grown and trained Adeptus Custodes. The wording of the Essence suggests that the boost brings anyone to Primarch levels, and not that it boosts them beyond that in any way.
Neoth still decided to try it out.
Neoth spread his arms and focused on what he wanted to do. He had chosen these 20 Custodes randomly. It didn't matter in the end, because the Essence made all of them equally as skilled and powerful in all aspects of their being. He willed the 20 Custodes to be transformed and as soon as he wanted that, they began to transform.
The armour on their bodies fell off and they grew bigger. Neoth could feel their thoughts and felt the changes happening inside their bodies. He took note of what was happening because he would surely create more Primarchs in the future. But he would also create more Adeptus Custodes. The resources needed to create a Primarch or a Custodes were astronomical, but now that Neoth was a true god, he could use the magic and the unexplored parts of the universe to acquire what he needed and make the Adeptus Astartes and all other of his soldiers much more powerful than they were right now.
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The 20 Custodes approached the end of their transformations and Neoth suddenly smiled. He was pleased with the results. The former Custodes were now Primarch Supremes. His guess was correct, the Custodes who transformed into Primarchs were more powerful than normal Primarchs.
"Welcome, my Primarchs. Welcome ... my sons. We have much to do."
A plan had to be made on how to progress from now on. The Phalanx was a ginormous structure, but there was always room for growth. If the Aeldari could create Craftworlds as large as planets, then the God Emperor, who was now an actual god, could do that as well no doubt. The 20 Custodes were given an appointment in the medical bay, where Neoth's personal lab was located.
Similar to the original Primarchs, Neoth would take the gene seed from each of them and grant them their own legions. But for that, a lot of materials were necessary which was something he didn't have yet.
There were many soldiers but they were normal ones and didn't have any enhancements. They were mainly used for manning the Phalanx and making sure everything was functioning properly.
For that purpose, Neoth created groups with 19 of the 20 Primarchs leading them. They would be deployed on different planets of the solar system, gather the resources required and begin setting up outposts. The knowledge Neoth held about technology had to first be recreated.
Soon, if everything goes according to plan, the solar system will be populated by humans stemming from Neoth and who only believed in him as their Emperor ... their God Emperor.
One Primarch was to stay and supervise everything on the Phalanx, while Neoth started all the other projects he had in mind. It was time for some heavy cloning and the creation of both the Power Armours and Power Weapons and of course the Adeptus Astartes who would wear them. The legions of Neoths 20 Primarchs had to be created.