Emperor's Bane

Chapter 189 The Second Legion
"Warriors!"

"Bros!"

"Fangs!"

"We found her."

"The Emperor has found her."

"A battle brother of the Second Legion?"

"Our Primarch, Lord of our Legion, Giver of our blood and spirit!"

"She's coming to us!"

------

This voice of excitement, joy, and fighting spirit resounded through the communication network of the entire legion through the highest priority signal channel, and was transmitted between every corridor of every battleship.

It was like a thunderbolt, mercilessly hitting a group of rock sparrows gathering to keep warm in the rainstorm, not caring about the panic and confusion under its passion.

The vast majority of Astartes warriors learned the news suddenly and unexpectedly: in front of it, these civilization killers known for their speed and rationality, they behaved no differently from ordinary people.

Hundreds of warriors were advancing in the corridors, or enjoying a rare rest in their own rooms. The first moment they received this information, a kind of pale stiffness fell on them, and everyone beside them People were horrified to see these new masters froze in place uniformly, like statues carved out at will.

And this kind of astonishment lasted less than a moment: in the next moment, the questioning and excitement like a torrential rain turned the entire communication channel into a messy storm, thousands of voices and inquiries were chaotic and layer upon layer. Stacked together, even the most sensitive people can't tell one from the other.

Excitement, doubts, roars, eagerness to ascertain the truth, subconscious emotions, and poetic language that weeps with joy...

The confusion lasted for a while, until an old, hoarse, restrained, but firm voice that could not be questioned, activated the highest priority communication channel again, and conveyed his voice to everyone's ears.

It was William Marshall's voice.

The commander of the Second Legion, the model of all warriors, the great knight who deserves all respect and courtesy - the last title even came from the personal promise of the Lord of Humanity.

The legion leader first used his almost unique slow tone to repeat and affirm the fact that everyone was eager for, and then his words became authoritative and serious like an elder.

Stay at your post, business as usual, at your best: until they show up to the Primarch.

The turmoil subsided, and all the corridors and halls fell into silence again, but unlike before, the current tranquility is more like the ice and snow in early spring, brewing countless restlessness and passion.

In those places where there are no tasks for the time being and nothing to do, familiar soldiers gather together in twos and whisper in low voices, just like dropping a drop of dye into clear water. This shocking news spreads in the silence at a fast speed. It was unbelievable: after just a few minutes, all the soldiers who did not keep in touch in time all showed astonished faces.

Among the legions, there has never been news that can be delivered so quickly, and there has never been a news that can unite these fighters who are not familiar with each other like this.

Since [Death of the Sun], the emperor's fangs, who had been so glorious in the past, were torn apart in mutual reprimands and excessive competition. The once united fleet turned into scattered steel tentacles, maintaining a minimum Identity and understanding disappeared in the ever-expanding territory of the human empire.

This is division, but not death.

When the various fleets were separated in the twilight of the stars, and in the waves of the Great Crusade, following their own dreams and goals, in their never-ending hearts, there was still a united and powerful Second Legion active , still stands the infinite glory and past from the Terra Unification War to the Great Crusade, and is still constantly fantasizing, conceiving, and infinitely looking forward to the day when the Legion is born from nirvana.

The history and glory of the legion are passed on word of mouth, and the firmest belief and goal follow: one day, when the legion gathers again, the path they choose will save this once powerful army. Heavenly army.

The Second Legion was once glorious and infinite. They are a veteran force second only to the Dark Angels. Together with the First Legion, they fought side by side in the endless purgatory of the Terra unification war, and eliminated countless terrible opponents: the existence of these enemies They were not even allowed to be recorded, and the less deadly part of the terrifying relics they used were classified into the [Secret Vault] belonging to the Second Legion.

The joint cooperation and tacit understanding of the two legions was an existence that made the emperor proud. When the first and second legions cooperated closely and did not hesitate to do anything, they even had the ability to truly threaten to go all out and stand shoulder to shoulder with the nun of silence The fighting regiment of the Custodians.

Those were the best times and the most memorable years: at the peak of the spring and autumn period at the end of the unification war, the number of soldiers in the legion reached as many as [-], and they were even able to faintly challenge the Seraphim Army, which was caught in internal strife at that time.

But the fall also began at that time.

Along with the progress of the unknown Primarch Project of the Lord of Humanity, the Second Legion also had a small problem: their gene seeds had some problems that could not be explained and solved by any scientific means. The batch of gene seeds became waste products, and new fighters could not be bred at all.

Such problems have always plagued the Second Legion. To this day, their gene-seed ratio is still not high, and a large number of gene-seeds have been judged as unusable, severely limiting their recruitment and expansion.

Under such a blow, the legion showed signs of decline, and as one of the most powerful legions, the countless wars in the early days of the Great Crusade required them to go all out: under such a trade-off, the scale of the legion became increasingly weak , unable to support the once mammoth tactics, the quarrels among the various branches have also intensified.

Finally, there is division.

But even so, the glorious past still lingers in the hearts of every warrior, and this has become their belief. They firmly believe that one day, the Legion will be born in nirvana: the one who ignites the fire of nirvana may be the Emperor , perhaps themselves, or perhaps the Primarch they had never met.

This kind of firm belief was accompanied by the most painful and intense expedition, which lasted for decades: the old soldiers left, and the new blood succeeded, and under those faces that gradually became mature, rational and stable, there was always a hidden truth. A heart full of boyish fantasies.

What would their legion look like?
What kind of person is their original body?
Countless soldiers died with such confusion and regret, and more new blood, with such longing, took over their mantle and weapons, and stood firm and fought in the endless waves of the Great Expedition.

Until the voice of the Lord of Humanity, after almost an entire generation, once again came to the ears of every soldier of the Second Legion.

Assembly.

Just the simplest order bridged the entire legion. In a galaxy designated by the emperor, the fleets that once parted ways emerged one after another from different directions. Some of them worked tirelessly Across most of the galaxy, just to observe those battle brothers who have never met under the shining of the stars.

Countless reunions appeared under the witness of this nameless star, and those friendships that had been lost for decades were ignited again in an instant. Brothers hugged each other tightly, recalling the past on Terra .

But this kind of warmth is only a minority. Most of the time, when those Terra veterans come to other battleships to look for their former comrades-in-arms, they will only see strange ones in those familiar positions and ranks. Sentimental face.

Decades ago, when the Second Legion was falling apart after the last dispute, the entire legion had only about 4000 fighters, and during the time when the various fleets developed freely, the number of the entire legion has increased slightly. improvement.

When the news of the discovery of the Primarch echoed in all the warships, there were about eighteen thousand Astartes warriors gathered in this galaxy: Among them, the First Fleet was the largest force, they The strength of the army exceeds 1. Although this fleet led by the head of the army is mediocre and does not have any more unique strength, their stability and sophistication are precisely the true cornerstone of an army.

The situation of some fleets is more miserable: for example, the Third Fleet, which pursues psychic power and skill, seems to have suffered many catastrophic psychic accidents: although with the power of the mortal auxiliaries, this fleet Still have the ability to launch conquest, but their Astartes warriors, not even 1000 people.

And the situation of the Fourth Fleet, which is working in the shadows, is not much better than that of the Third Fleet. Their strength exceeds one thousand, but that's all.

These two fleets add up to about 2000 people, which is only equivalent to more than half of the second fleet that is willing to explore the ruins.

On the contrary, those Sixth Fleet who are keen to get along with mortals have a huge force second only to the First Fleet. Their merits are the least, but the soldiers of the Second Legion never take status and glory too seriously .

And these fighters who do not belong to the mainstream of the legion also brought back another message: not all the strength of the Sixth Fleet was present, and a part of the strength of the Sixth Fleet disappeared in a sudden disaster when passing through Damocles Bay. During the warp space storm, it was preliminarily estimated that they chose to take the risk of crossing that empty star area after being unable to break through the storm, and there has been no news of it so far.

That fleet has more than 1000 Astartes warriors, and if it does not encounter a terrible opponent, it is also a force that can survive independently.

And they were not the only ones who lost the fleet: the fifth fleet, the bloodiest and most reckless of the Second Army, also disappeared in a strange storm, but no one was worried about them, after all, those lunatics had no idea about the chainaxe. Love trumps all weapons, they are like a group of sharks that are always hungry, only when they threaten others.

In addition, the Second Legion actually has a third Lost Fleet, and that fleet is the real [Lost], and no one wants to mention their existence. Those veterans who have experienced [Death of the Sun] agree By default, those rebels who were exiled have disappeared in their place of exile: the Ghoul Starfield.

But even so, in the legion, there are still people who silently chanted the names of those unforgivables: this is not sympathy, but a kind of remembrance, a kind of the most serious inheritance of the past.

They can loathe, despise, and despise those once gloomy.

But never forget.

There must always be someone to remember those things, and then pass them on, whether it is as the history of the legion, or as a suggestion and lesson, or as a joke in the glorious future.

------

"So, is that why you found me?"

"Not quite."

The tall warrior in front of him was showing a flawless smile, which made Diarmuid move his shoulders a little nervously.

Diarmuid—or, as he prefers to be called, Diarmuid.

He is the most unlucky group of people in the legion. When the exciting news exploded in the communication channel, he was closing the communication and was concentrating on his way in the corridor of the battleship until he opened the door. From the mouth of his smiling senior, he heard the news that shocked him a little.

The discovery of the Primarch undoubtedly brought unprecedented excitement and genuine consternation to any Astartes: but Diarmuid did his best not to lose his mind for too long.

After all, what stood before him was the legend of the Second Legion, and also the most powerful fighter in the entire Legion.

【Bayar Knight】

No one knows whether this name is his real name. The only thing Diarmuid knows is that when soldiers from other legions mention this name, they often bring it up together with another name:

Akudona, the head of the two hundred swordsmen, the greatest son of the Emperor.

Thinking of this, Diarmuid licked his somewhat dry lips, and found that the news of the Primarch was still rampaging in his chest, making him unable to settle down safely.

He raised his head and looked at Bayar: This strongest soldier of the Second Legion is actually not tall and burly, but very strong. He has soft golden hair hanging on his shoulders. He is very handsome, but His facial features are not more aggressive. When he smiles, anyone can't help but think of his other title: Kind Knight.

"You know that, Diarmuid."

He smiled and spoke slowly.

"The Legion has gathered. Although there are still some combat brothers who have not returned, it is irrelevant from the overall situation. What is more important is that we will soon reunite with our genetic mother. Therefore, the organization of the Legion Restoration is an urgent matter.”

"There are many long-lost positions in desperate need of new blood: you are one of them."

"But……"

"I know."

The powerful blond knight smiled, and he waved his hand, apparently having done a lot of investigation and preparation.

"You are not very good at communicating with others, which even makes you worry too much about some shortcomings in your mind: but you don't have to worry about it, Diarmuid, I have already taken this issue into consideration. "

"I won't embarrass you too much, but I also hope that you can overcome it. After all, we are really short of manpower now: after reuniting with our original, we need a special force to go to the Taiping Starfield to accept The last batch of supplies from the No.11 Legion: These supplies were assigned to us by the Emperor himself, and they are the legacy of the No.11 Legion. Their quantity is very large and rich, and it is an unimaginable gift."

"With them, we don't have to worry about restocking for a long time."

"I hope you can be one of the team leaders to complete this task."

Bayar's eyes sparkled, giving off an irresistible light.

Diarmuid hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded, but then, a question in his heart could no longer be suppressed.

"Your Excellency Bayar, what you just said is our...gene mother?"

"Yes, Diarmuid, just like the official notification you just received, our Primarch is a woman, that is, the famous Soul Drinker, a well-deserved hero in the Randan War."

"Proud, isn't it? I heard that the psykers of the Third Fleet have fallen into some kind of carnival at this time."

Diarmuid took a deep breath, angry and blasphemous at the thought: but he couldn't help thinking about it.

Would a female Primarch be a little... thin?
"Are you worried about her strength?"

Bayar's eyes seem to have the power to see through people's hearts.

Facing his smile, Diarmuid, who is still a new blood in general, nodded with some difficulty.

"Indeed, I'm worried..."

"Worried about the power of the Primarch?!"

Before he finished speaking, he heard the roar of an old lion.

Accompanied by an unquestionable majesty, the old voice penetrated the door that had not been fully opened and broke into the room.

Diarmuid glanced at the visitor in some astonishment, then lowered his head without hesitation.

"Legion commander."

"Don't call me that, I've never been a Legion Commander, I'm just taking care of a knight of the Legion temporarily instead of our Emperor and Primarch."

William Marshall, the old Astartes warrior, the leader of the Second Legion, stepped into the room just like that, he first smiled at the old buddy Bayar who had accompanied him through the entire Terra unification war smiled, and then sat down in front of Diarmuid.

As an Astartes warrior over 100 years old, his face and body are too old: this is because his genetic surgery was affected by the war back then, which caused many twists and turns.

But even so, with his hard work and skills, he has become a figure that every fighter truly respects.

"You worry about the Primarch's power, Newblood?"

Marshall's gaze was like a majestic lion, and sweat dripped on Diarmuid's forehead involuntarily.

"……Yes."

"absurd!"

The legion commander patted his sword.

"Couldn't she be our Primarch without power?"

"Are we following the Primarch just to follow the power?"

"Or, without a powerful Primarch, can we not fight? Can't join the Great Crusade? Can't continue to fulfill our duties and missions?"

The voice of the legion commander was slow, but it was stressful. He calmly highlighted every single word of his speech, which made Diarmuid bow his head in shame.

"Sorry, Legion Commander."

"I know……"

"No, you don't understand."

The legion commander shook his head, his old face was a little too regretful.

"That's what worries me the most."

"And this point is constantly circulating in the legion. You instinctively look down on psionic power and doubt the power and majesty of a gene mother as a primarch, even for a talented kid like you."

"What do you think our Primarch is? Something to boast about? Or something to rely on?"

"Even if she has no power, she is still our Primarch, and she still has something for us to learn: whether it is the wisdom of being the Emperor's heir, or the posture that is enough to inspire every soldier and unite the entire Legion."

"Remember, Diarmuid."

"Strength isn't everything."

"With strength but no heart, you are just a reckless person. If you have a heart but no strength, it will only add to the tragedy. If you have no heart and no strength, you are a pure coward!"

"Only by grasping the heart and strength at the same time, can there be the possibility of stepping into the path of a true warrior."

"That's the possibility, to follow our Primarch."

"Whatever she looks like."

"A Primarch is a Primarch and cannot be changed."

"To be loyal, to follow, to find your own life and death in loyalty and battle, and to find beliefs and things that are worth your all."

"Go ahead, you talented little guy."

"There is nothing more beautiful in the galaxy."

　Well, this chapter is going to be overdone, this volume will be finished before the end of the month, and then there will be a new plot.

　　Let's kick Jonson away and welcome Ahriman, Perturabo and Guilliman!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)