Chapter 303: The Bei Su Star System

…

Meanwhile, Yoen stood on the bridge of a transport ship, gazing out at the approaching planet. It was a hive world, far larger than pre-transformation Talon I. From the vantage of the ship, the metallic patterns covering the planet's surface were visible—extensions of the sprawling hive metropolis below.

This world held not one but multiple hive cities. The planetary surface was marked by a web of metallic scars, forming vast geometric shapes; each scar bore testament to a distinct hive metropolis. Smaller hives were hidden entirely from view at this distance.

"Bei Su I."

"As you can see, a colossal hive world. This is the capital of the system," remarked Anreda, who approached Yoen with a glass of wine in hand. He offered it to him as they admired Bei Su I together.

Just the sight of Anreda made Yoen's frustration flare. He was supposed to be vacationing on Talon III, perhaps diving with his daughter or exploring underwater landscapes with the thrusters of his armored body. Yet, thanks to Anreda's insistence, here he was, called back to duty.

"Bei Su…" Yoen murmured the name of the system. "It sounds strange. Does it have any meaning?"

Anreda shook his head slowly. "Although the planetary governor looks like me, I don't know the meaning behind the name or how it came to be."

Unconcerned, Yoen nodded. The universe was vast, full of peculiar names that defied understanding. The name hardly mattered—what mattered now was something else entirely.

"Why did you insist on bringing me here?" he asked.

Even before his mission to kill Bellona, Yoen had known that Anreda had been shuttling between the outer systems around Talon, working to integrate them into a defense ring known as the Talon Gate.

But Anreda was a civilian officer among the elite Talon Guard. What prevented him from bringing this system into the fold on his own?

"This system is… unique. And this hive is especially so." Anreda's tone softened as he began to explain the nature of the system.

"Remember years ago when you fought on the Forge World of Agrippina?" he asked. "You and Gray, along with the Celestial Engine, protected that Forge World."

"You reported encountering a Space Marine from the White Scar Legion there—a soldier named Chen Ye."

Yoen's eyes widened. He hadn't anticipated that the Bei Su system had once provided soldiers to the White Scars, nor that Chen Ye, who had departed from Agrippina years ago, was linked to this place.

"He told me he was a recruit," Yoen said, surprised.

"A recruit among Space Marines," Anreda replied with a nod. "But Chen Ye may have withheld certain details. He's not as new as he let on, and he's here on Bei Su I."

Yoen nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "So why call me in?"

"Chen Ye is here to negotiate terms. The White Scar Legion supports the integration of Bei Su into the Talon Sector—but they have a stipulation that they be allowed to recruit here again. Chen Ye himself has a request. He wants to speak with someone he knows, and that person is you."

Yoen glanced at the parchment bearing the seal of the White Scar Legion's commander and nodded. Though he didn't understand why Chen Ye wanted to meet, he was willing to see it through.

"I'll accompany you to the peak of the hive tower," Yoen said.

"No. I'll be going to the tower for discussions with the nobles. Chen Ye awaits you in the underhive."

…

When the elite Talon Guard first arrived, the nobles of Bei Su I had been unprepared. On their second arrival, they had readied an impressive welcome—a grand parade on the upper hive level. 

The soldiers of the planetary defense force marched with precision and were well-equipped, each one exemplifying the rigorous training they'd received. The Noble Guard, unlike the typical private forces used as bodyguards, was an army in itself—a one hundred thousand strong, better equipped than ordinary troops.

The people of Bei Su I seemed well-prepared. Over the course of millennia, as one of the most remote regions after the Talon system, the Bei Su system had built up a formidable military to protect its isolated expanse.

Assembled in the tower's opulent hall, the planetary governors joined Anreda to enjoy the parade and revelry, each one pledging that their forces were ready to merge seamlessly into the Talon Army.

Meanwhile, Yoen, in the squalor of the underhive, waited to meet with Chen Ye. 

Compared to the upper hive and its gleaming towers, the underhive was a place of unrelenting filth, worse even than the depths of Talon I during its hive world days. Likely, the sheer density of the population accounted for its dreadful state. 

The grim conditions might have been bearable—but acidic rain began to fall from the sky.

Since the rebellious governor moved industry to Talon II, Talon's hives had been free from such rains. Yoen, unprepared, watched as droplets beaded on the protective film of his synthetic skin.

"Call Saul!"

"I've been detained by the Ministry of Law! I need to call Saul!"

…

While waiting, Yoen glanced at a faded advertisement flashing on a grimy billboard nearby. A Ministry of Law officer—dressed more like an entertainer from the pleasure sector—slapped handcuffs onto a man, who turned to the camera with exaggerated dread.

Then, a neatly dressed man—by underhive standards—appeared on the screen with an overly animated expression.

"Framed by a bald thug and accused by the Ministry of Law? Yet they trust him, the model citizen, over you?"

"I'm Saul, and I'll fight for you."

…

"Seems the hive governor here isn't entirely lawless," Yoen murmured, watching the ad. The mere existence of this commercial hinted at some semblance of order in the city—a governor unwilling to resort to arbitrary justice by letting hunting hounds sniff out suspects and condemn them based on whom they attacked.

"It's merely the last glimmer of a dying light."

At these words, Yoen turned to see Chen Ye standing behind him.

The White Scar Legion soldier was almost unrecognizable. Gone was his power armor. Instead, he wore a black rain cloak and resembled a cybernetically enhanced brute, his body augmented with thick synthetic muscles.

The two didn't exchange greetings or gestures; they simply held each other's gaze. Both men lacked for words, yet both remembered the battlefields where they had fought side by side, surviving the carnage of the arena—a bond forged in blood.