Captain Donnal was not surprised, given the position of the planet, although the nature of the Warp Zone might have called for a Battalion being stationed here, given its size. The bureaucracy of the Empire at work...

“My circumstances and method of travel here were somewhat unique,” he admitted, as the Duke gestured, and all three of the men sat down together. “I believe you have a purpose for this meeting, other than standard greetings, Your Graces. Shall we set aside the pleasantries and idle conversation?”

Neither Duke blinked. “Of course,” Duke Parablum went on, unperturbed. “Due to the exceptional circumstances of your arrival, Captain, we are wondering if you might not want to set up new companies of Legionnaires upon Janus. There is a unique opportunity for us to act on here.”

Captain Donnal frowned, wondering what machinations were happening in the background. “I am required to register and return to my Battalion, sirs. What are you trying to do?” He let more than a little cold escape his voice.

“We are aware of your protocols, Captain,” the grim voice of the shadowed Umbran Duke replied, unmoved and precise. “Unfortunately, all contact with Tellus and the worlds beyond the Rift is impossible at this point. The only news that can be carried is through use of alien couriers circumventing the Warp, and as you might consider, that is hardly an avenue the Empire is going to use for sensitive information.” Captain Donnal inclined his head fractionally. “As such, you are effectively here under your own authority and guidance, and as a Legionnaire, not wholly within the hierarchy of any other branch of the government. Your unique status gives you opportunities that a normal Legionnaire simply would not have.”

“You use opportunity dangerously, sir. Tell me what you think I might want to do, and I will give you a reply.”

“Certainly. In the view of the Empire, you are dead.” Captain Donnal blinked. “The entire position of your Company is listed as obliterated by multiple fusion explosions as the Warp Storm that spirited you away swept past. The appropriate paperwork has been filed, and your Legion and Battalion have by now replaced both your Company and your men in their rosters.

“As of right now, you are officially not associated with any Legion, which makes you free agents until you formally align yourselves once more. Furthermore, as death ends your official service, there are various contracts, laws, regulations, rules, and stipulations that likewise end. Furthermore, if you do not join another Legion or Battalion, those contracts, regulations, rules, and stipulations will not come back into play.”

Captain Donnal frowned more deeply. This was administrative power-shuffling, something both unbefitting a warrior, and yet which could be extremely important. It was merely another form of logistics, and logistics was not something a good commander ignored. “I am listening,” he merely acknowledged.

The Coronal Duke nodded. “My reports indicate you have met Colonel Sama Rantha.”

“I have,” he acknowledged.

“Your opinion of her?”

“An impressive and dangerous young woman,” he judged calmly, which, coming from a Legionnaire, was high praise.

“Here are some files for you to peruse.” He waved his hand, and several holoscreens winked up before the captain. He turned his attention to them, and as the two dukes waited, he read through them, scrolling through them with great speed and thoroughness without effort.

He finished in several minutes. “This technology is very interesting,” he acknowledged. “She is the source of it?”

“She took a line of technology abandoned over eight thousand years ago and turned it into the most fascinating advance in anti-Warp and psi-resistant technology ever,” Duke Parablum stated solemnly. “This technology has been tested on the battlefield and off, and the results agree: Rantha-tech is unequivocally the finest anti-Warp equipment to be found in the galaxy. AMT and non-Rantha vakker-tech simply cannot compare.”

Captain Donnal considered that. “By your tone and expression, I see the Orders have a massive interest in expanding use of this technology.” Both dukes nodded affirmation. “What has this to do with me?”

“The Legions are bound by contract with the Mechanists for their wargear. The Mechanists cannot replicate the Rantha-tech, nor anyone else, although many have tried, including ourselves.”

“And so the Legions cannot gain access to this technology, unless the Mechanists purchase it for them, or we acquire it independently somehow...” Captain Donnal understood where they were going with this.

“And worse, are subject to seizure if it is found, for no purpose other than not being AMT standard Legion patterns,” Duke Rimval laughed under his breath. “None of which applies to an unaffiliated Legionnaire from a unit below the size of a Battalion, as contracts are simply not issued to such units, and any prior obligations are satisfied by your official deaths. Our lawyers are very certain of the ramifications.”

“So...” Captain Donnal said thoughtfully, “you want me to form a new... non-Battalion, of Legionnaires, equipped with this Rantha technology?”

“We can arrange for the necessary resources, including suitable recruits according to the standards you desire,” Duke Parablum confirmed for him. “There are Battalions of nine different Legions at work on this side of the Rift, and many have had to make similar adjustments to renew their numbers and replenish their supplies, being out of contact with their Legions. However, they are still under contract, and this offer cannot be extended to them.

“If you wish, we can put you in contact with those Legions you have a history with, and I am certain they will help you rebuild your Company according to the traditional methods of your Battalions.”

Captain Donnal saw the goodwill for what it was... this, then, was not a hammer being held over him. “And what of supplies?” He was not privy to all the knowledge of Battalion finances, but he knew taxes and levies of entire worlds were used to support the Legions, and even a Battalion needed a strong world behind it to remain viable.

“The finances of the Coronals and Umbrans are easily able to absorb the costs of rebuilding several companies of Legionnaires... particularly if they are to focus on Warp incursions. As coincidence would have it, there is an area close by to engage in training with them,” Duke Parablum observed sagely.

“And for us to field-test any new equipment,” Captain Donnal mused shrewdly. “If the results are useful, they could be a turning point in our defense against the Warp.”

Both Dukes nodded shortly. “The performance of the technology is basically on par for AMT-format tech, trading off size and speed for increased power flow and tolerance. For pure computational power, AMT releases less heat and draws less power. But in most other tech, it is something of a trade-off... and its Warp Resistance is clearly higher by at least two standard deviations.”

“Has it been tested in personal arms and armor?” Captain Donnal asked sharply.

“Yes... but not for Legionnaires, as you might guess.” Duke Parablum was somewhat amused. “Let us say that there are certain elements that wanted it to fail so badly there was clear statistical data recorded in error, conflicting with our own tests, and when called upon to duplicate such results under observation, those certain parties were unable to do so.” He coughed for no reason in particular. “We have already supplied Colonel Rantha with dozens of AMT schematics for equipment, taken from maintenance requirements, and she has been slowly tooling up as she expands and hires more people. The process is unfortunately nowhere near as fast as we would like it to be, but seems essential to the manufacturing process, and so cannot be rushed, regardless of how much money we are willing to throw at her.

“On the other side, she is expanding literally every day, as she reports to us. The Mechanists are unwillingly supplying her with some of the required manufacturing technology, she is making more herself, and she has a unique relationship with her suppliers which seems to be insuring a smooth flow of raw materials.

“I am sure she could add a production line of Legion equipment to her factories if you were to give her the word... but she won’t until you do so.”

Which was only proper. Making Legion equipment without a buyer would be extremely stupid for any sort of a businessman.

He brought back some of the performance reports for the standard issue arms she had designed and implemented for the Orders. The ability to function in disruptive zones heavy with Warp influence was noteworthy, where the chaotic energies of the Warp easily overloaded and fried non-psi-insulated technology.

It was not the same as a zone that suppressed all technology, as he had personally experienced.

Captain Donnal rapidly went through various scenarios. Trust was an issue here... but he was dealing with a Coronal, who made it a very, very, very firm habit not to engage in duplicitous activity. They’d either scorn you to your face, or not at all. Now, the Umbrans would backstab you in the Emperor’s Name without hesitation if they thought it was appropriate... unless you were a Coronal. Some of the things the Umbrans did were extremely questionable from the purview of outsiders, but the fact the Umbrans were backing a Coronal play generally indicated that this was a play that had no hidden dangers... or, conversely, might be threatened by those with hostile intentions.

“Is this woman capable of doing all this?” he inquired. “This level of technology is not something easily understood.”

The two dukes looked at one another, eyes flickering. “It is our estimation that she will break Ten within a year or two. At that time, we actually expect improvements in the current technology paradigm.”

Captain Donnal grunted despite himself. That was... extremely impressive.

“She is approximately twenty-one years old,” Duke Rimval added.

Captain Donnal inhaled despite himself. That was a prodigy of prodigies!

“From literally owning the clothes on her back, she has built up a following of over a million employees, over a hundred thousand militants, taken a buried technology tree and thrust it into the center of a credits stream worth potentially quadrillions... and she spends her days running around the planet, killing mutants, and exploring Warp Zones while slaughtering demons.” Despite himself, Duke Parablum had to roll his eyes. “Perhaps more significantly... you have noticed the numbers of Ancients and Nymphals who not so coincidentally are running about with her and Commander Briggs?”

“It would have been difficult not to?”

“They are Vat-grown.” Captain Donnal’s eyes narrowed curiously. “One of them is my secretary now. She is a Seven.”

Captain Donnal inhaled sharply.

“She is as sane and untouched by the Warp as neutronium. From telepathic contact, she is utterly sane, terrifyingly intelligent, emotionally balanced, has a personality as overbearing as a battleship, and her aspirations are boundless.

“She also has no active psionic ability or potential to connect to the Warp whatsoever. She is what they are terming a Null Psion... she is a storehouse of psionic energy, but cannot expend it, nor draw it in.

“But... a Null Psion can be tapped by a bonded Psion for power.”