Emperor's Bane

Chapter 977 The Crow That Brings Bad News
"I'm sorry to have to make you leave in such a hurry."

"But... the situation is indeed urgent."

"We can't expect the Imperial Fist to hold out for long with its overwhelmingly inferior forces."

"We also cannot expect the Death Guard, these potential rebels, to turn a blind eye to an imperial world."

“Taran could fall at any time.”

"And afterwards, Terra will be under great threat."

"To avoid this tragedy, we must make some reasonable sacrifices."

"..."

"You've said these words several times already, sir."

"I don't remember my genetic father being such a fussy person."

But on the terrace of the Raven Spire, which overlooks most of the surface of the planet Salvation, a Raven Guardian is laughing heartily in front of Corax.

Even within the 19th Legion, which has always upheld the principle of equality between officers and soldiers, few could be so unrestrained in the presence of the Primarch. After all, for any Astartes warrior in any Legion, the bloodline oppression brought by the Father of Genesis was absolute.

But there are always exceptions.

There are always some lucky ones among the Primarchs who receive special treatment that their fellow warriors would never even dream of, as well as the Primarch's favoritism.

Some of them were indeed exceptionally capable, standing out among all eighteen legions. They earned the Primarch's respect through sheer personal strength and virtue: Acudona, Bayar, Sevita, and Sigismund are all excellent examples.

There are also some people who, although their strength is not obvious, have reached an unexpected tacit understanding with their genetic father in terms of soul and mind, and are therefore more trusted than others. These people are also more inclined to be the "darlings" in the eyes of their other fighting brothers, and their reputation is no more noble than those who are purely strong.

However, the above two types are only a minority. More often, it is the case that those who are close to the source have the advantage: those who have formed deep friendships with the Primarchs when they were still mortals are the ones who can act most recklessly in front of the Primarchs. And basically every Legion has some people like this.

To put it another way, if a prototype doesn't even have these old friends and old crew members, then it's truly pathetic.

It's worth noting that even Morgan, a special case who didn't spend a long time on his home planet, could proudly consider Ahriman his friend and proclaim their friendship in every public setting. And now, who can say that Ahriman isn't Morgan's offspring?
Even the Dawnbreakers have accepted this.

Since the Spider Queen, who had endured hardship and displacement since childhood, was able to have her own friends, the Lord of the Raven Guard, who had made a name for himself on his home planet early on, would naturally not lack the old Redemption Star crew who had fought alongside him since they were mortals, followed him closely after returning to the Empire, survived the modification surgery, and joined the Nineteenth Legion.

The person laughing loudly in front of you is one of them.

And she was the youngest one at that.

"Alright, Sorolla: Stop making fun of me."

Corax waved his hand, completely ignoring the somewhat presumptuous laughter around him. His gaze remained fixed on something much farther away: standing atop Raven's Spire, a peak even higher than the mountains and valleys of the planet Salvation, he could be clearly seen even in the far reaches of space.

On a normal day, the spaceport standing on the horizon would be illuminated by the stars of the Kiawa system at this time. Its broad body would project a majestic dragon onto the ground, arrogantly surveying this harsh yet fertile land. This is one of the few breathtaking sights on Salvation Planet.

But today, all of that is gone.

Because a much larger shadow had already swallowed the arrogant dragon whole.

As the Primarch's command took effect, thousands of warships and transport ships rushed from every starport of the Raven Guardian Kingdom, forming an endless encirclement of the planet's surface. Even the sun, high in the sky, had to yield to their power, its brilliance and authority being shut out.

"The Legion has never mobilized so many ships before."

"In a sense, we are taking an unprecedented gamble: the hope is also one that will never be repeated."

Watching the Emperor's Shadow, which used to occupy the core position of the spaceport, slowly leave near-Earth orbit and give way to the later combat barges, even a Primarch as steady as Corax couldn't help but sigh deeply in front of his offspring.

In fact, if possible, he wouldn't mind deploying the Emperor's Shadow in this operation: even a one percent increase in the success rate would be acceptable.

But he can't do that.

As the Glory Queen of the Nineteenth Legion, the Empress Shadow was simply too conspicuous: other warships could be used to deceive, but the size and appearance of the Glory Queen-class were absolutely undeniable. Therefore, this powerful warship was destined to be excluded from this mission.

But the Primarch had also made up his mind.

If the situation is indeed so bad that it is beyond repair, then in order to maintain Terra's lifeline, he would not mind deploying the Emperor's Shadow at a critical moment. If all else fails, he can make a large-scale modification to its appearance and disguise it as the Glory Queen of the Seventh Legion.

As a Terran Guardian for fifty years, it's only reasonable for Dorne to have a few more Glory Queens in his command, right?
Of course, not everyone could understand Corax's inexplicable determination: although there were no voices in the Legion opposing the Primarch's orders, it did not mean that they would not have doubts when they assembled and prepared to set off, after all, even the highest-ranking Legion commanders did not have much inside information.

Sorolla was no exception.

As the de facto supreme commander of this task force, handpicked by Corax, Sorolla only received the information from Corax that Horus and his followers were very likely the real rebels, while Holy Terra and Rogdorath were the Emperor's true loyalists.

Although it sounds a bit far-fetched and doesn't present any evidence or inferences, if this information is indeed true, then it is reasonable for the Raven Guard to side with Holy Terra.

But the question is: why are they doing it so secretly?
Right next door to them was the headquarters of the rebel Death Guard.

The Fourteenth Legion is poorly defended, and many of the hundreds of thousands of troops left behind by Mortarion are new recruits. It is feasible to either take the opportunity to capture Barbarus to deter the rebels or force the main force of the Death Guard to return to relieve the military pressure on Holy Terra.

Why doesn't the Primarch do this?
Is he not entirely sure about his own opinion?
Or does he believe that capturing Barbarossa will not have the desired effect, or may even cause worse problems?
Sollora couldn't understand the problem, but he vaguely realized that the Primarch seemed to be hiding some crucial information.

However, out of absolute trust, the Raven Guards did not intend to delve any further into this matter.

He came here with another purpose.

"grown ups."

Sorolla took a step forward.

"If even you think this is gambling, shouldn't we be more cautious?"

"After all, we've put up far too many bargaining chips."

"Do you think that's a lot?"

Corax gazed silently at the horizon until another batch of transport ships had finished loading and rotation, at which point he slowly turned his gaze to Sorolla.

"Indeed, by convention."

The Raven Guard nodded.

"Thirteen thousand elite warriors: almost all handpicked by you, representing the very best of the legion."

"Thousands of warships and transport ships—that's the core of the Legion's naval power."

"There are also massive amounts of supplies. The total amount of supplies that the Far East and the Five Hundred Worlds have provided to us has been reduced by one-fifteenth."

"And this was just a tentative contact."

“Once the route is established, the amount of supplies we need to carry on each trip will be far greater than this.”

"According to your plan: we will eventually transport at least 94 percent of the reserves to Holy Terra."

"To be honest, the logistics department generally reports that this number is already affecting the legion's combat readiness."

"But these are not the most serious issues."

Sorolla paused for a moment.

"What people are really worried about is that you have never set a real tone for this operation."

“From beginning to end, you have told us that you only suspect that Horus is very likely a real traitor.”

"This statement is ultimately inaccurate."

"And once our whereabouts are exposed, we will be forced to get involved in this galactic war. Considering that the Death Guard's territory is right next to us, our own nation is very likely to be attacked by the war."

"Many soldiers felt..."

"They think it's unnecessary, right?"

Corax asked indifferently.

"Yes."

Sorolla lowered her head.

"They just don't quite understand: what does this war have to do with us actually..."

"Actually, it's not that big."

The Crow King shook his head helplessly.

“I know what you mean, Sorolla, and I know why you came.”

"The reason you came here is because many in the Legion have been questioning you about why we are getting involved in the war between Terra and Horus, and why we are not staying on our own little planet but instead shedding blood on the other side of a distant star."

"Why die for Terra?"

Ultimately: my soldiers don't feel this is their war, do they?

"No, sir, that's not how it is..."

Even as the Primarch's closest friend, Sorolla broke out in a cold sweat at this question.

"I assure you they have no intention of being disloyal."

“I know, Sorolla, I know everything.”

The Primarch waved his hand, interrupting him.

He turned his head and looked at the youngest commander in the legion with particular seriousness.

Although Sorolla is no longer young and is a standard veteran of the Legion, his age when he became a commander broke the record, and that record still stands today.

"You know, the Sorolla brothers."

Corax smiled.

"When I have nothing to do, I always miss the days when we rose up in rebellion."

"Most of my old comrades who fought alongside me have left me forever, and only a few of them remain by my side as legion soldiers."

“You are one of them, Sorolla.”

The Primarch looked upon his offspring.

“I still remember the first time we met: you were only five or six years old, but you were able to run through the guards’ patrols and barbed wire on your own from another prison to join our riot. At that time, we all believed that your future was definitely limitless.”

"And to me, you are like my brother, my younger brother who is not related to me by blood: you were the only one among everyone who was younger than me at the time, and for the first time I felt what it felt like to want to protect someone out of a real sense of duty rather than kinship."

"This feeling has lasted to this day."

"So trust me, little brother."

"While there are indeed some things I cannot explain to you immediately, you must understand that if I were not certain of Terra and Dorne's loyalty, I would never have risked the lives of so many of my offspring, much less appointed you as the commander-in-chief of this operation. The fact that you are given the leadership is the very indication of how much importance I place on this operation."

"We stand with Dorne and Terra, there is absolutely no problem with that."

"As for the voices within the legion, I can understand them."

The progenitor smiled somewhat helplessly.

"After all, it was I who personally eliminated the influence of the Terra faction from the Legion."

"Over the years, the Legion has only recruited new soldiers from Salvation Star and Storm Starfield. In their eyes, the land in the south is naturally more valuable than Terra. In this respect, we are no different from the Ultramarines."

“I never doubt the loyalty of my legion. If the Emperor really gives the order, both Terrans and Redeemers will do their best. But if it's only Terrans, then it's understandable that they complain.”

"Then...do you have any good ideas?"

Sorolla asked tentatively.

"No."

Corax honestly shook his head.

"That's the most troublesome part of this war."

"It was also the key to Horus's livelihood."

"Similarly, this is one of the reasons why I will not participate in the war openly, because I lack a reason that can convince the entire legion: although they may join the war because of my orders, a total war without the support of the whole will not last long, and there is very little I can do at this time."

"But it's not that it doesn't exist."

"I can still make some efforts."

"For example, those people you gave it to."

The Primarch placed his hand on the railing.

"They are all veterans of Terra who chose to stay with the Legion back then, or core members who are extremely loyal to me personally. They are the true core of the Legion and the most determined group of people: that is why I dared to send them to Taran. They don't think that Stormstar is more important than Terra."

"But I'm still worried about those Terrans."

Sorolla hesitated.

"After all, they were all once followers of the War General, even though they have proven their loyalty..."

"Then don't doubt them."

The Primarch shook his head, ending the conversation.

"They have served the Legion faithfully for a century. If we were to doubt them because of what happened more than a hundred years ago, we would be too narrow-minded."

"Understood, sir."

Sorolla lowered her head.

"Is there anything else I should be aware of?"

There is something.

Corax seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"When fighting the Death Guard, remember to protect your respective identities."

“I will keep that promise, sir.”

Sorolla patted his chest.

"Before setting off, all the soldiers involved in the operation will receive a brand new power armor, which will be unpainted and will not have any markings to identify them. All participants will also be required to remove any tattoos from their skin and undergo minor facial surgery."

"If necessary, we can also temporarily apply the Imperial Fist paint scheme to confuse the public."

"But it's not enough."

Corax was not satisfied with this.

"Mottarian and his Death Guard have been our neighbors for fifty years. Although our relationship has been good and bad during this time, they must know us very well. Many outstanding warriors have their faces and movements recorded in the Fourteenth Legion's archives. It is inevitable that some of Mortalian's offspring will recognize us on the battlefield."

"So what are your thoughts...?"

"I don't have any good ideas either."

The crow king circled around in place a few times.

"If possible, try not to leave the bodies of the fallen on the battlefield."

“We must bring them back no matter what. Unless the Death Guard has particularly clear evidence, they won’t dare to speak up.”

"what?"

This time, it was Sorolla's turn to be confused.

“My lord, I don’t think Mortarian is the kind of guy who would swallow his anger.”

“You don’t understand, Sorolla.”

Corax shook his head with a slightly smug look.

"Motalian is not important."

"Horus is the important one."

"Right now, our War General is in a precarious situation in the Sun Starfield. Although he is making steady progress, he is still far from final victory. Horus would not dare to let any legion side with Holy Terra under these circumstances. Even if he knows we are up to something, he will not expose us."

"As long as things don't completely fall apart, there's still room for things to turn around."

Even if it's the most unpleasant thing to say.

“Even if Horus wins, he will forget all about these things as long as I am willing to bow down and submit to him.”

“He knows which side I’m on: he’s not going to provoke Guilliman and Morgan.”

"..."

At this point, the Primarch suddenly stopped.

He shook his head with a bitter expression.

"Isn't it ironic?"

"The ownership of the entire galaxy, the lives of billions."

"For us Primarchs, it's like child's play, like a household chore."

"If someone wants to defect, they will always find an excuse and the power to do so; if someone is willing to admit defeat, they will definitely be given a break."

"If this continues, who will take a war that affects the fate of the entire galaxy seriously?"

"From this perspective."

"This war is really not surprising."

"Perhaps in Mortalian's eyes, we're just fighting over a few vases in the house."

"Sir, you don't need to..."

"never mind."

Corax interrupted him.

"Let's pretend I didn't say anything."

"Of course, Horus and Mortarion will find out about what we've done sooner or later. I don't expect to keep it a secret for long, but all they can do is send their fleets to intercept our transport convoys in secret, or capture Taran and completely destroy this transport line."

“But with the power I’ve given you: we may not lose this war, Sorolla.”

“I believe that too, sir.”

Sorolla nodded firmly.

As one of the youngest senior commanders in the history of the Ravenguard, he was completely unaware of the existence of that secret force until Corax revealed it to him.

Based on this alone, Sorolla had absolute faith in the power of the secret trump card that the Primarch had given him.

A crow that heralds death.

That's a very suitable name.

"Then do it."

The Crow King waved his hand. "There are still three days before we depart."

"If you have any questions, feel free to come to me anytime."

"Or you could talk to Sal-Kusiri (the chief think tank of the Ravenguard), he learned a lot from Morgan back in the day."

"I will, sir."

Like any Ravenguard, Sorolla's departure was quieter than the wind in mid-air.

In the blink of an eye, the spot where the Dark Raven Guard had once stood was now completely empty.

Corax, however, remained oblivious to this.

He simply continued to look into the distance, watching as one transport fleet after another completed loading, unloading, and rotation, until the sun's rays were strong enough to shine upon the earth once more.

Meanwhile, Corax sighed silently in the setting sun.

"Do you think it would be a good idea for me to hand over the secret forces to Sorolla?"

The Primarch asked the shadow behind him.

After a while, a pure shadow slowly emerged from it and answered in a low voice.

"It all depends on your will, sir."

The Crow King shook his head helplessly.

"You always say that..."

"Sharojin."

"..."

"It's still the same as before, right?"

“...I think so, sir.”

"How boring."

The Primarch seemed somewhat frustrated.

"How many times is this? Twenty-three or twenty-five?"

"The twenty-seventh time."

"Twenty-seven times..."

Corax sighed.

"Sorola is one of my best commanders."

"His own strength is definitely not weak either."

“These past few days, every time I have a long talk with him, I call you over to us: I keep wondering, how long will it take for him to realize you’re there?”

"But he never did."

"Perhaps Lord Sorolla is just hiding it well."

Sharokin lowered his head.

"He may have discovered my existence a long time ago, but just hasn't had the right opportunity to point it out."

"You have that much faith in him?"

"The Legion has always been full of hidden talents, my lord. I am just an ordinary member of it."

"Use that kind of talk to fool others."

Corax almost laughed out of anger.

"I personally trained you."

"If even you are just ordinary, then there are hardly any capable people in the Raven Guard."

"certainly……"

Having said that, he changed the subject.

"Compared to those monsters in your team, you certainly aren't the most outstanding one."

"But looking at the entire legion, there are at most four people better than you, Sharokin."

"You don't need to be so modest at all; excessive modesty is not a good thing in many cases."

Sharokin remained silent, and Corax had long been accustomed to his silence.

He simply waited quietly, waiting for one of his strongest offspring to speak up. He knew that Sharokin always harbored a question in his heart.

"Why did you send us, sir?"

Finally, Sharokin couldn't help but speak up.

Are you all troubled?

The crow king turned its head and looked at Shaluojin.

"Is the entire secret service struggling with this problem?"

“We were quite surprised when your memory returned: after all, you have almost never used us.”

"Because you are our last resort."

The Crow King sighed.

"Do you know, Sharokin?"

“Back then, I carefully selected you from the entire Dark Raven Guard team countless times before finally choosing you.”

"Your talent, character, and loyalty are beyond question. I personally taught you, instructing you in skills that only Primarchs can master. Many of the teaching processes even involved forbidden techniques that could not be disseminated or known to the outside world. It is precisely because of this that you have become the Legion's most outstanding warriors."

“It’s far more powerful than the concept of Astartes.”

"At the same time, they are also my secret force."

“Even at its peak, your secret unit will never exceed thirty people. To prevent the forbidden techniques learned during training from being leaked, I have deliberately erased your memories related to them. In your daily lives, you serve me as ordinary legion soldiers. In your own minds, you will only see yourselves as ordinary Raven Guard soldiers.”

"I will only unseal your memories and reactivate your secret force when I believe the situation has become so urgent that there is no way to salvage it."

“That is exactly what I am puzzled by, sir.”

Sharokin raised his head and looked directly at the Primarch.

"You've never told us what kind of emergency would necessitate the deployment of this unit?"

Let me give you an example.

Corax raised a hand.

“If, and I mean if, Horus really does rally several legions to rebel, and we are ordered to suppress it along with other loyal legions, then I will not immediately activate your secret force: I will lead you to the battlefield first, and then decide whether to temporarily unseal your memories based on the situation.”

“I think this is inappropriate, sir.”

Sharokin hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

"If the rebels have other trump cards, wouldn't this painstakingly built secret force be lost for no reason on the battlefield? Even the most elite soldiers can't withstand a nuclear explosion."

“I know, Sharokin, I know.”

Corax nodded.

"I'm just giving you an example."

"And if that really happens, and you survive the battlefield."

"Then you could say that the most powerful members of the Raven Guard simply died on the battlefield."

"And you, sir?"

Faced with Shaluojin's question, the Raven King remained silent.

"I will seal this memory away."

"I will pretend this team never existed: and I will never try to find a new one."

Upon hearing this, Sharokin fell silent.

But he did not waver.

"If the situation is this critical, and you still won't use us..."

"So what's the reason now?"

he asked next.

"After all, this time, all twenty-six members of the secret unit were mobilized."

"Two reasons."

Corax turned around.

"First."

"This operation cannot afford to fail: I will bet everything, including you, for even the slightest chance of success."

Sharokin nodded.

Are you 100% sure?

"Morgan contacted me."

The Primarch looked at the photograph beside him: it was a gift Conrad had given him during his last visit, clearly recording the moments the five Primarchs spent together.

Corax, Conrad, Guilliman, Morgan, and Johnson: each of them was so genuine, their faces full of the relaxed feeling that only comes from brothers being together.

He didn't know when Conrad had captured this moment, but it was indeed a precious gift.
"This reason won't convince the legion, sir."

“But it can convince me, Sharokin.”

The raven guards fell silent.

"And what's the second reason?"

"I have an extra task for you."

Corax walked up to the photograph, picked it up, and quietly admired it.

“We have received accurate intelligence that the Death Guard has taken note of Taran’s importance.”

"Typhons, a company commander in Mortalian, is leading a large army toward there."

"And if he is defeated, then it is not impossible that Mortarian himself will personally lead the army there."

"You could even say: it's huge."

“I know Mortarian. I know how much he favors Typhon and how much he cares about his image.”

“If Typhons fails, he will certainly do everything in his power to turn his army toward Taran, even if it means defying Horus’s orders.”

"So, you mean..."

"Let Typhon fail, Sharokin."

Corax turned his head away, his gaze icy.

"Let the Death Guard be defeated and crushed in Taran."

"Then, draw Mortarion and the true main force of the Fourteenth Legion there."

"I will send reinforcements to you when the time is right."

"It is not difficult to make Typhon fail."

Sharokin only thought about it for a moment.

"With our strength, assassinating him would not be difficult."

"But Mortarian... do you mean..."

The usually unassuming Raven Guardian's voice now carried a sudden surge of excitement.

He realized something.

"Yes."

Corax looked at Sharokin.

"you understand me."

"Just treat it as... a challenge."

"Sigismund will fight alongside you."

"..."

"What are you thinking, Sharokin?"

After the Raven Guard remained silent for a long time, his genetic father couldn't help but ask.

The one who responded to him was Sharokin...

laughter?

"This is indeed a challenge, sir."

Shalujin bowed in greeting.

"But as we've heard before..."

Do you know what they said?

"say what?"

"They've all been saying this since the Great Expedition."

"The primordial is a transcendent creation."

"Only another Primarch, or the Emperor himself, can kill a Primarch."

"And now..."

"I think about our team."

"Very interested: Let's verify whether this statement is true or false."

"You accepted it?"

“You know me, sir.”

Sharokin slowly shook his head.

“I may not be the best in the team, there are at least three or four brothers who are better than me.”

“But I am definitely the most gentle of all.”

"I'm not someone who likes challenges."

"Even so, I felt incredibly excited when I thought about being able to hunt down a Primarch."

"No one else would refuse this."

Sharojin smiled brightly.

"Hunting a Primarch."

“Nothing is more precious than this, sir.”

“I think even the lions of Caliban would envy us for having such a wonderful opportunity.”

"Humph……"

"He does envy us."

"But I also believe that Johnson will not let himself miss such an opportunity."

"If there is anyone in this war who would not hesitate to stain his brothers' blood with his own: it must be him."

As the Crow King spoke, he nodded.

He knew: this was indeed Zhuang Sen's character.

But after the brief moment of pleasure, Corax felt a strange sense of sorrow.

He turned away, unwilling to see his offspring.

"So……"

"This may be the last time we meet, Sharokin."

"No need to worry, Father."

The Raven Guards, on the other hand, seemed quite magnanimous.

"It is extremely fortunate that someone as mediocre as me has such an opportunity, sir."

“I can assure you on behalf of everyone.”

……

"Maybe we won't come back."

"But Mortarian."

"There is absolutely no way they can escape unscathed."

"We will toll his death knell with a sharp blade."

"We'll make him remember our names."

“We will make them all remember: the harbinger of death.”

(End of this chapter)