Emperor's Bane

Chapter 276 Osiris War ([-])

At that quiet moment that no one expected, the piercing siren sounded like a sharp knife in the night sky, piercing through every inch of slack on the [Dawn Goddess].

"It's a war call from the Ultramarines Legion! My lord!"

"They called us to the Eurydice star system and asked us to bring all our strength. His Excellency Guilliman declared that they had captured the main fleet and vital forces of the Osiris psionic species, and now they want to destroy this blasphemous alien civilization The perfect time!"

The Chief Old Guard, Lana, used his resonant voice that was as firm as a knight's armor, so that his report could be clearly heard by everyone in the room, especially the entire expedition. The fleet is truly and only master there.

Sitting on both sides of the throne room, the Astartes Company Commander and the mortal high-ranking officers who lowered their heads to handle their official duties raised their heads when they heard the sound. Everyone's face was filled with fanatical fighting spirit that had been suppressed for too long, but Even so, they still maintained a kind of humble silence until everyone's eyes focused on the silver-haired queen who was occupying the main seat.

The indifferent Lord of the Second Legion is holding a quill at this time, and is quite concentrating on writing at his desk. There are countless pages of books exuding a strong ink fragrance under her arm, and the Virgo standing beside her is in charge of sorting: from Judging from the layers of documents in the arms of the primarch maid, this must be another thick book.

There are even think tanks of the Dawnbreaker Legion secretly speculating whether their genetic mother is writing a new book about psionic knowledge: such speculation is not groundless, because when the powerful think tanks in the legion witnessed When Morgan was writing the text, they could clearly sense that the book being written seemed to be brewing its own waves in the subspace ocean.

Even the most well-informed Terran veterans couldn't figure out what that inexplicable surge was, but judging from its obsession with the unfinished book, it clearly had something to do with the Primarch's new work. Incomprehensible fate.

Not without Jane, the Dawnbreakers in the emperor's heart had the courage to disclose and ask about this matter to their gene mother, but the answer everyone got was just the silence with a wonderful smile on the face of the Primarch, As time passed, no one asked any more, and everyone regarded the book that hadn't yet come into the world as another brother of the spiritual scripture.

And the Spider Queen didn't have any more explanations for this. She devoted most of her time to her own creation, as if it was an investment that could bring her huge profits. Her writing has been going on for several years. It started, and it wasn't quite over until the Ultramarines' war call came to her desk.

Among dozens of pairs of quiet gazes, the Primarch just paused the nib of the pen for a while. She raised her head and looked around. They all lowered their heads, waiting for her order, but the Spider Queen showed a surprised expression instead.

Then, she smiled.

[Rana. 】

"I am here, my lord."

[When my brother called us to help him, did he send the location? 】

"...Of course, my lord."

【Then what are you waiting for? 】

The Primarch raised his eyebrows, looking at the hesitant officials in the room rather strangely: each of them is a mortal army with hundreds or tens of thousands of Astartes in their hands. The important ministers of the legion, but in front of her, they always have a strange performance of submissiveness.

Thinking of this, the Primarch couldn't help but look at his chief guard again.

[Rana. 】

"Yes, my lord."

[Don't we have a plan? 】

"No, my lord, in the past few Terra standard months, while searching for traces of the Osiris psionic species, under your personal leadership, we conducted countless war games and staff meetings. A company commander or even a squad leader is very aware of the characteristics of our enemy and the situations that may be encountered."

[Are we not prepared? 】

"No, my lord, the entire expedition fleet has been in the most advanced state of preparation. The think tank department has worked overtime to create a one-time device that can temporarily resist the mind control of the Osiris psychic species. The gas masks have also been distributed. In the hands of every mortal warrior, all ships are ready for the longest battle."

【Then, are we afraid of war? 】

"..."

"As long as it is your order! My lord! We will fight against anyone without hesitation!"

Despite the impassioned faces of the Chief Old Guard and everyone present, the Primarch did not lose the playful smile on her countenance.

[Then what are you waiting for? 】

[Why are everyone here looking at me instead of returning to your respective command positions? 】

The Primarch's question was very light, but it was enough to make the enthusiastic hall return to calmness in an instant. The company commander and officers who were valued by the Primarch looked at each other in blank dismay. In the end, the highly respected Bayar took a step forward.

"All await your order, my lord."

[In each of our previous deduction, we have not always obeyed: when the war call of the Ultramarines comes, all warships should be assembled immediately and put into the battlefield, and there is no need for any exclusive orders and instruction. 】

[Isn't that so? 】

"...It was true in the previous deduction, my lord, but now..."

[What's wrong now? 】

"... After all, you are here, and only your order can make the entire army attack in full swing."

[I am very pleased that you can say this, my son, but please think about it each of you: If the enemy's blow has now come to our warships and soldiers, and I have always said If you don't send it, do you still want to put a silent array in front of me like now? 】

"According to the legion's regulations, every squad leader and soldier on duty will launch a counterattack against the incoming enemy. No matter what their number or unit is, as long as they fire at our warship, they will automatically be designated as the enemy."

[Yeah, even the squad leader and the soldiers know the meaning of this positive attitude. Why do you high-ranking officers become dawdling instead? 】

"...Sorry, my lord..."

[There is nothing to apologize for, what you need to do is to make corrections and avoid making such a mistake happen a second time, instead of apologizing afterwards again and again. 】

"...Then next time..."

[Next time, maybe the situation will be different: Without my order, no soldier is allowed to fire without permission. If you are too active and active at that time, it will be a bad thing. 】

"..."

In front of the abruptly reversed words of the Primarch, even Bayar was silent, and behind him, all the important ministers of the legion were either bowing their heads and thinking about themselves, or looking for answers in each other's eyes.

But the efforts of the vast majority are futile after all, and only the most reckless characters can barely grasp the meaning of the Primarch's words, and are disturbed by the results of their guesses.

Almost in the next second, the spider queen's icy eyes found the extreme thinking that was infinitely close to the correct answer in every pair of confused pupils in the hall.

[Erwin. 】

Morgan softly spat out the name that she had hardly mentioned before, and following her call, after a burst of silent noise, the thin mortal figure slowly emerged from the countless tall and burly Dawnbreakers. The chief got out, and each of Morgan's heirs made way for him with good intentions.

"I am here, my lord."

Even by mortal standards, General Avalon, who was a bit too thin, stood proudly in front of the Primarch, without a trace of cowardice, although there were dozens of Dawnbreaker officers watching him behind him, But Erwin knew very well that there was no malice in their eyes, and he even called many of them friends.

[What do you think what I just said mean? 】

The Primarch's question made Erwin hesitate for a moment, then he saluted solemnly, and answered loudly with an extremely affirmative voice, the confidence in his voice even amazed many Dawnbreakers behind him.

"The subordinates believe that what the adults mean is: as a combat force, it is impossible for us to encounter exactly the same situation every time, and we may not necessarily leave enough time for preparation and deduction, and the same , at the moment when the war suddenly broke out, your orders may not be able to reach our ears in time, my lord."

"So what you're saying is that neither the conservative stance nor the aggressive stance, nor any habit in between, is entirely right, nor is it entirely wrong, because in war there is never There is no [most correct], only [most suitable]."

"So, we shouldn't expect to be able to get the solution to every battle from you, but... we should get used to facing a war with our own judgment, and get used to thinking from the perspective of the Primarch... "

The second half of this sentence was a bit too shocking, so that even Erwin himself gradually lost his courage, and the sentences became a little chaotic and mixed, and the Dawnbreakers behind him fell into silence.

But soon, the laughter from the Spider Queen broke everything.

[There are some problems with your choice of words and sentences, Erwin, but the general meaning is indeed in place. 】

[Yes, my children, as General Erwin said, in this battle, what we may need is the courage to fight every enemy, and in the next battle, maybe we need The perseverance to stick to the post rather than being beaten passively: Even I can't figure out the content of this war, so why do you want an absolute gesture from me? 】

[Now, you can come to me, get my clear order, and then leave like a child who is allowed to go to the store by his mother, but you can't do this every time, and you can't drive away from the battlefield every time. to my face. 】

【After all, you have to face a choice: whether to be reckless or cautious, or to choose the most reasonable posture for the current situation between them. 】

[The speed of this is up to you to grasp. 】

[Just like Erwin said, when you stand in this position, even if you can’t do it in the end, you still have to try to think as me, use your own intelligence and ability to figure out Explain the significance of the battlefield you are responsible for to the entire war. 】

[Then, make your choice. 】

"..."

The words of the Primarch were like stones dropped into a deep valley, loud and lonely.

"Can we... can we really do this, Mother? Like you?"

In the crowd, I don't know which Dawnbreaker dared to ask a question, but the Spider Queen shook her head with emotion.

[Maybe you can't do it, but you definitely have the potential: Otherwise, why did I choose you, instead of my other descendants, to sit in these positions? 】

"..."

The silence in the room seemed to continue to spread, and it was secretly accompanied by some kind of excitement and excitement, which made the Spider Queen show a bitter smile. She tapped on the table with her quill pen, pretending to be Anger was added to the tone.

【All right! 】

[Haven't heard enough? 】

[Since you want to order: then I give the order now, set sail!Don't keep my brother Guilliman waiting for us too long! 】

This time, the Primarch finally received an uproar that could overturn the room, and all the warriors and officers responded to their lord with promises and cheers, before disappearing through the doors in the blink of an eye.

And it wasn't until Lana, who was the last to leave, closed the door and continued to return to his post outside the room, that Virgo, who had been silently collecting the scrolls, raised his head.

"Why did you do this, my lord?"

[There is no important reason. 】

The Primarch glanced at her works that were everywhere, yawned, and rubbed her tired eyes. Her fingers stretched the laziness in her body, and she kept scratching the expensive tabletop with the quill.

【I just found... ha... During this period of time, I seem to have trained them too honestly. Anything that can be put on the line wants to get my permission first, becoming like the group of Ultramarines. 】

"Isn't that bad?"

[What's so good about the Ultimate Warrior, my Dawnbreaker should be the Dawnbreaker. 】

"Isn't it a good thing that they admire your power?"

[From the point of view of loyalty, this is undoubtedly a good thing, but from the point of view of efficiency, this is another disaster: Now that I have been able to ensure the loyalty of my heirs, then I should start Take care of their efficiency, no? 】

"When they get used to and even start to rely on independent thinking, you have to turn around and grasp the issue of their loyalty to you, and keep repeating this?"

[Yes, the water can’t be too clear, but it can’t be too turbid either, because purely clear water and turbid water can’t raise fish, so what I have to do is to constantly strengthen these two ends and narrow the range with each change. Finally find the most suitable point to control my legion. 】

"I think they have already been controlled by you, my lord."

【Is it? 】

[You mean: In less than ten years, can I train such a group of warriors who are at least over 100 years old into loyal hounds under my riding boots? 】

"...it seems impossible."

[Or, do you think that in the hearts of those Terra veterans who occupy more than the average number of legions, my status is already higher than that of my father? 】

"……I'm not sure."

[I'm not sure, so I will do this, and it can't be too obvious. 】

"..."

"I have a suggestion, my lord."

【tell me the story. 】

"The next time you spend time with your blood brothers, perhaps you will learn how they interact with their offspring. My memory sequence shows that several of the Primarchs are known to love their offspring. Maybe you You can imitate them."

【……indeed so. 】

[Ania, what do you think: Among all my blood brothers, what position can I rank in terms of treating my own children? 】

"……medium?"

[I think so too, after all, the way I treat them seems to be no different from those ordinary mortal mothers, which is a bit pale. 】

"So you decide to take my advice?"

[You record it first, and we can discuss it when we have time. 】

"Understood, my lord."

------

"However, my lord, is it really good to let them play on their own? After all, this is not a small role like Gladstone back then. The Osiris psionic species is an alien civilization that has plagued the empire for nearly half a century. Their power Still very threatening."

[First of all, Arnia: We are not the protagonists of this expedition, but my brother and his 12 Ultramarines are. 】

【Secondly: Even if my brother and his legion are not there, I am still there. I am right here, in the very center of the legion, where I can step into the battlefield at any time. 】

【And for me...】

[A simple lunch, even a light meal, what threat can it have? 】

【What do you think? 】

"Threatening your weight? After all, you just swore thirteen days ago that you would never use psionic energy to lose weight again. This is already your No.40 four vows on this point."

【…】

【Shut up!Arnia! 】

"understand!"

"..."

"..."

"Then do you still need afternoon tea? It's already tea time."

【…】

[Bring it here! 】

------

"Lord Erwin."

When the mortal general stepped out of the throne room of the Primarch and was moving quickly towards his post, he suddenly heard someone calling himself.

Turning his head, he saw a rather tall Dawnbreaker, who was rushing towards him. The solemn but not extravagant decoration on his body showed that he was a company commander, and he was very likely to be ranked very high. .

"Your narration just now was wonderful, Your Excellency Erwin, please accept my respect."

Looking at the big hands that stretched out proactively, the mortal general just smiled wryly. He was used to greeting these polite emperor angels, and he was used to these giant hands that were even as big as his entire forearm.

"I don't think we know each other?"

After saying hello to each other, the two continued to walk on the road to their posts, and Erwin didn't have any fear: most of the mortal officers on this battleship were used to being close to the Astartes. Intersect equally.

"Maybe you don't know me, but I've known you for a long time, and I can't even forget you."

Dawnbreaker laughed, and under Erwin's somewhat puzzled gaze, he patted the mortal's shoulder in a friendly way, then took off his helmet, revealing his thick, weather-beaten beard.

"Let me introduce myself: Johannes, the commander of the No. 15 company of the Dawnbreaker Legion."

"Oh……"

"At the same time, I was also one of the three Dawnbreaker company commanders who were disturbed and forced back by your [Miracle Counterattack] during the Gladstone recovery operation: Since that day, I have been looking forward to fighting with you." Your meeting."

"..."

"Cough, cough, cough!"

After realizing the meaning of the words in Johannes' mouth, an unreasonable distraction almost knocked down General Erwin, who was not strong at all, and Johannes, who was on the side, hurriedly supported him in fright.

"Don't worry, sir."

Dawnbreaker carefully patted Erwin on the back, fearing that something would happen to him. The son of Morgan's voice was sincere and sincere, without any falsehood.

"You defeated me on the field of battle, using your wit and daring to repel my troops under extremely adverse conditions: it was an honorable victory, nothing to complain about, and I am glad to be able to fight in a less lethal environment. A lesson learned on the battlefield."

"So, after that battle, I have always wanted to meet you again, because I have too many questions to ask, but because of the busy mission, until today, this wish has not become a reality."

"……question?"

"Yes, question."

Dawnbreaker laughed, and his smile calmed Erwin's presence.

"Although it has been several years, when I recalled and reviewed your counterattack, there were still many tactical highlights that I could not comprehend. I even asked the other two company commanders, and found that They're doing the same thing, having the same pain."

"So, they entrusted me to come here: Do you have time? If so, you can tell me how you repelled our troops. I want to finish this lesson thoroughly."

"... Ah... I have time."

Erwin nodded numbly. Although he was used to the gentle attitude of Morgan's sons towards them mortals and even their former opponents, the face in front of him was full of respect and thirst for knowledge instead of the slightest care or hatred. It shocked him.

"We... talk while walking?"

"No problem, please."

As if he was treating a fellow who was as noble as him, this top-ranked company commander in the Dawnbreaker Legion humbly listened to the words of Erwin, a mortal, and even asked questions cautiously like a student. .

This scene is somewhat strange.

And if you refer to the mortals around you who have turned a blind eye to this, even the Dawnbreakers.

It just gets weirder.

------

"The navigator's domain has just sent a new report. My lord, according to their calculations, our vanguard fleet will be able to jump out of the warp space and arrive at the Eurydice galaxy when there are about two Terra standards left."

For the Great Crusade, time is just a fleeting concept: when the Chief Old Guard stood in front of Morgan again, it was already more than ten days later, and the main fleet of the Second Legion was already in the storm. The Starfields performed a rough flick across several sectors and separate worlds, all the way to where their battle-brothers called them.

[According to the message sent to me by my blood brother, Guilliman has led his Ultramarines to besiege the ruler of the entire Osiris psionic species: the king of psionic species, in Eurydice among the galaxies. 】

Morgan finally put down her pen, returned to her throne, and closed her eyes to meditate: As the war approached, as the spiritual power most relied on by the Dawnbreaker Legion and even the entire Osiris Expeditionary Force, the Spider Queen must ensure that she was fighting time status.

[According to previous research, as a psionic parasitic race, the king of psionic species has some kind of extremely abnormal control power over its people: once we kill it, all Osiris psionic species will be destroyed. Most likely died of some kind of psionic disease. 】

"Yes, so I guess, Master Guilliman may just want to use this theory to force the remaining Osiris psionic fleet to rescue their monarch, so as to completely wipe out this race."

"If his plan is successful, then the Osiris spirit race, the alien race, will no longer be a threat to the empire. We will wipe them out completely to comfort the hundreds of people who have been poisoned by them in the past half century. citizens of the Empire across a galaxy."

[Indeed... But we can't ignore another interfering factor, can we? 】

"You mean... green skins?"

【yes. 】

Morgan yawned, and she casually glanced at the star map beside her. She couldn't help feeling the vicious mockery of fate for each race and the invisible help it brought to others.

[The Eurydice galaxy, and even the dozen or so galaxies next to it, were originally the territory of the entire Greenskin Empire, and they even thwarted the empire's expeditionary force until the Osiris psychic species chose this place. 】

[They used their talents and abilities to control half of the Greenskin Empire, and plunged the entire Greenskin Empire into a fierce civil war, but this civil war in turn delayed their plan to control the entire Greenskin Empire until they The trail was eventually captured by my brother. 】

"Controlling greenskins... It sounds like some kind of crazy fantasy, my lord. I can't imagine anyone actually being able to control greenskins, and what a terrible situation it would be if they succeeded."

[It is true, but I am not surprised when I think that the brains of all kinds of spiritual creatures are the favorite food of these Osiris psionic species, and they have even captured Ada spirits as their delicacies: Know how many terrible races like them there are in the darkness of the galaxy? 】

[Thinking about it this way, it's really mouth watering, isn't it? 】

"..."

"You seem to have used a wrong word just now, my lord."

【……Maybe. 】

【Speaking of which, what is the current combat readiness of the Legion?I chose to delegate everything to you this time, so what is your answer to me? 】

"Please rest assured, my lord! All the preparations for war are ready. The gas masks and anti-psychic control devices you specially ordered have been distributed to all the mortal auxiliary troops. I personally sent someone to check it, and there are no omissions. "

[Even so, we still can't let the mortal auxiliaries get too close to the main battlefield, don't give them the task of fighting the Osiris psionic species, let them fight the greenskins. 】

[In the previous fiasco of the Ultramarines Legion against the Osiris Psionics, their biggest loss was because these aliens controlled the Imperial Navy that assisted the Ultramarines in combat, so that the warships of the Sons of Guilliman were ruthlessly attacked by their own firepower, lost heavily. 】

[I don't want the same thing to happen to us again. Whether it's you or the auxiliary army, I spent a lot of effort to build the backbone force. Any stupid casualties are unacceptable. 】

"I'll keep you informed, my lord."

【Well, that's it. I will leave everything about the battle to you. I will join the battlefield at the right time. At least the king of psionic species needs to be cleaned up by myself. 】

"Understood, my lord."

The Primarch waved her hand, and after her offspring withdrew, the Spider Queen closed her eyes again: Although her fleet had not yet reached the Eurydice galaxy, she herself had already landed on that battlefield .

Morgan's will easily spanned an astronomical distance, and from the perspective of a drama viewer, he witnessed everything that happened in the Eurydice galaxy at this time.

The hourglass-like battleships of the Osiris psionic species filled a small half of the galaxy, and on their outskirts, there were thousands of strangely shaped green-skin battleships, which formed a line of profane, dirty, elegant and brutal coexistence. The steel fence guards the rather huge green-skinned steel planet in the middle.

It was once the core of the Greenskin Empire, and now it is the hiding place of Osiris, the king of the psionic species. It hides in it, hiding its invincible opponent: the huge fleet belonging to the Ultramarines Legion overwhelming, even Biling There are more main battleships capable of alien shapes and green skins combined. In the face of the anger of the five hundred worlds, the unwillingness, fear, hatred and madness wandering in the soul of the king of psionic species almost made the spider queen's stomach almost growl. There was a grunt.

But before that, there are some other great scenes for her to take some solace in.

For example...

A group of 12 Ultramarines jumped to the gang.

It's shocking... and jealous...

(End of this chapter)