Emperor's Bane

Chapter 985 Eagle and Snake

"alpha."

"What exactly are you guys doing?"

As the hazy outline of the savage world of Aryande appeared at the edge of Chagatai Khan's vision, this Primarch, known for his calmness and keen insight, was now engulfed in a different kind of rage.

He stood before the oracle in the command tower, and only his most trusted subordinates dared to approach him at this time.

"grown ups."

Qin Xiahan was one of them.

"We detected a combat barge and three cruisers in low Earth orbit."

"Furthermore, no other hidden enemy fleets were detected within the observable range."

"Ah."

Chagatai Khan nodded in response.

"What did the fleet commander say?"

They thought there was no problem.

Qin Xiahan then replied.

"Based on observation, the combat barges are very common Imperial Envoy-class ships, and the three cruisers are all Moon-class ships. There is nothing special about them in terms of model or equipment. Considering the difference in quantity and tonnage between the two sides, as long as you give the order to attack, the fleet commander is confident that he can lock down the victory in a quarter of an hour."

At this point, a hint of eagerness appeared on Qin Xiahan's face.

This Kheshig leader, known for his brute strength on the battlefield, was always the most radical member of Chagatai Khan's inner circle, even though he was not lacking in cunning and military wisdom: otherwise Chagatai Khan would not have let him command his personal guard and never tried to replace him.

"Shall we launch an attack, sir?"

"No...it's not that bad yet."

The Primarch shook his head. He did seem to think about it very seriously, but ultimately rejected it.

"Opportunities to negotiate face-to-face with Alpharis are rare. Although he took the initiative to propose it, I would prefer to resolve the situation peacefully while it is still under control: notify all companies to be ready to engage in combat at any time, but no one is allowed to fire the first shot without my order."

“I will pass it on, sir.”

Qin Xiahan nodded.

"But please forgive me, sir, I have a question."

"Just ask."

The Khan glanced at his sons.

For Chagatai, Qin Xiahan, who had grown up with him since childhood, always deserved preferential treatment.

Qin Xiahan stepped forward.

"Actually, it's not just me, my lord. Many in the Legion are confused about this: our war in Betangamon is reaching its most critical stage. Although the Sons of the Emperor's Legion is making frequent mistakes on the battlefield, they are indeed close to breaching the core defenses of Lemanrus."

"At this time, if you can sit on the front line and command the main force of the legion and cooperate with the Third Legion, then it is not impossible to capture the Betangamon Fortress in one fell swoop."

"But you chose to leave: simply because a man claiming to be an envoy of Alpha brought a letter?"

"Many in the legion felt this way..."

"Are you dissatisfied?"

"No, not really."

Qin Xiahan shook his head.

We are just... confused.

"After all, we all believe that you are the most intelligent of all the Primarchs, and you couldn't possibly be unaware of that."

"Don't mention 'the smartest' anymore."

The Khan shook his head helplessly.

"The last guy who called himself the smartest of all the Primarchs can't even mention the Legion's name anymore."

At this point, the Khan looked into the distant depths of the void, but Qin Xia Khan knew that his genetic father was gazing in the direction of Prospero.

Although Chagatai Khan seems to rarely mention his close friend Magnus since the tragedy of Nicaea, only close subordinates like Qin Xia Khan, who are the most trusted by the Primarch, know that in his heart, the Lord of the White Scars has never abandoned his brother.

He had always believed that Magnus's subjective guilt did not warrant such punishment.

One of the reasons Chagatai Khan chose to support Horus might have been the idea of ​​reducing Magnus's sentence after the victory.

Of course, overturning the verdict is impossible.

White Scar also bled on Nikaia, and the Khan couldn't even get past this hurdle in his own heart.

"There are two main reasons why I am temporarily leaving the front line."

Despite having a thousand thoughts in his mind, Chagatai patiently explained to Qin Xia.

He was not a proponent of mysticism: the Khan was always open and honest with those he included in his inner circle, and he believed that this trust between father and son would bring considerable rewards.

Of course, at some point, Chagatai quietly narrowed the scope of his inner circle: now only those who came from the Chogris, or even those who had fought alongside him on the grasslands in his early years, were qualified to receive the Khan's heartfelt sincerity.

As for the Terrans: out of some instinct, Chagatai is carefully excluding them.

"Firstly, because Alpharis promised in the letter that he would answer my questions."

"That hydra?"

From Qin Xiahan's tone, it was clear that, at least within the Fifth Legion, Alpha's reputation was far from good.

"Do you really believe him, sir?"

"It depends."

The Khan narrowed his eyes slightly, and subconsciously stroked his long beard.

"Furthermore, I don't believe that Alpharis can answer all my questions."

"After all, this war has dragged on for so long, and there are just too many questions that are puzzling me."

"Whether it's Horus or Holy Terra, each of them seems to be hiding something."

"They all have their own secrets, and they would rather see the galaxy start to burn than reveal the damn darkness in their hearts."

"Do you know, Qin Xia?"

At this point, the Khan appeared somewhat melancholy.

"This war gives me a very strange feeling."

"It's so... weird."

"This is not like fighting a war, but more like acting out a bloody play on an invisible stage according to a pre-written script."

Chagatai Khan withdrew his gaze and instead looked at the increasingly enormous planet before him.

“I always felt that Horus’s position on launching the rebellion was somewhat untenable: and his hesitation was also strange.”

"But on the other hand, the attitude shown by Holy Terra is far too... contemptuous."

"On the one hand, they have absolutely no chance of winning."

"But on the other hand, their actions were indeed pushing the war forward."

“I know Makado. Given his usual composure and calmness, it’s impossible for him to decide to sink the Vengeful Spirit under the circumstances of the Terra crisis. Not to mention that he doesn’t even have sufficient evidence to point to Horus, even if the Warmaster admitted on the spot that he did it, wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to seize the Vengeful Spirit?”

“In the past, the one who holds the seal would definitely have done this.”

"But he didn't. In fact, you could say he started this war himself."

"But I see no possibility of their victory."

Chagatai Khan shook his head, somewhat puzzled.

"Unless he can persuade the Far East."

"But if he could, he would have done it already."

"Or perhaps he is certain that the Emperor will return before Horus conquers Terra and will stand on the side of Holy Terra without any reason."

"If this is true, then this war contains secrets we do not know."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Qin Xiahan fell silent.

"My lord, if the Emperor truly supports Terra..."

"Does that mean..."

At this point, even a tough guy like Qin Xia choked up a little.

For the first time, a hint of tension appeared on his rugged face.

This is understandable.

Following the father of genes without complaint and willingly raising the banner of rebellion alongside the war commander are two different things.

But if the target of the rebellion is not the Sealholder and High Lord who have already caused widespread resentment, but the Lord of Man who led them to victory in the Great Crusade, then such a rebellion is a different matter entirely.

"This is also the second reason why I will be leaving temporarily."

Chagatai nodded solemnly.

"Although it may sound selfish to say that."

"But until I understand the situation, it's best to maintain the status quo in Betangamon."

"That's exactly what Yesugei instructed me to do."

"He can work together with the emperor's son."

"But there's no need to actually conquer Betangamon."

"After all, if Betangamon really falls, the balance of the war will be quickly tipped."

"When faced with a surge of change, there is no other choice."

At this point, the Primarch paused for a moment.

It seems to be checking if anyone is around.

Then, he lowered his voice.

"Although I don't mind Horus joining me in rebelling against the Emperor's rule: in my eyes, he is nothing more than a tyrant."

"But before that, I need to know the truth."

"Whether it's Terra's side or the War Master's side."

"..."

Qin Xiahan nodded, wisely refraining from pressing the issue further.

"So, you think the breakthrough point lies in AlphaRes?"

"There's no other choice, is there?"

The Primarch turned around, ending the conversation.

"All right."

"Send our greetings to them."

“Tell Hydra: We have come to keep our appointment.”

------

"Alpharis salutes you, my lord."

Hydra's reply came faster than Qin Xiahan had expected.

Minutes after White Scar sent his tribute, the combat barge in near-Earth orbit responded quickly, and a pale blue shadow appeared in front of the Khan. The slightly flawed projection technique could not conceal the Alpha Legion's already infamous cunning.

Qin Xia stood beside the Father of Genetics, looking at the tall figure with wariness.

As is well known, every soldier in the Alpha Legion undergoes plastic surgery after enlisting to transform himself into a likeness of the Father of Genesis. In addition, Alpharis is the second shortest among the Primarchs, while Hydra soldiers are generally taller than their brothers in other legions. Therefore, any Hydra soldier can almost perfectly impersonate their Father of Genesis.

At least in Qin Xia's eyes, it was difficult for him to distinguish them by their appearance or temperament.

But Chagatai Khan could.

Despite their distant relationship, the bond between blood brothers is undeniable.

"You're speaking on behalf of your master?"

The Khan's tone was as cold as ice.

AlphaRes bowed.

“I speak on behalf of all AlphaRes: I hope you can also speak on behalf of all White Scars.”

Khan paused for a moment.

"Then where is your master?"

“He is on the ground, and your oracle can detect his location at any time.”

A smile played on Hydra's lips.

"After all, there is only one fortress in this wild world."

The Khan did not answer immediately. He waited for Qin Xia Khan, who had run away, until the latter returned and gave an affirmative reply.

He was indeed there.

"very good."

The Primarch nodded.

"In that case, why don't I disperse your poor fleet and then kill him with orbital bombardment?"

“Of course you can do that, but the war hasn’t progressed to that point yet, has it, sir?”

Qin Xia had never seen anyone so casual, or rather, so provocative, in front of his genetic father.

However, Khan seemed unmoved.

“Tell your father.”

"Let his fleet leave."

"I will meet with him."

“Tell him to prepare his answers and explanations, and then take only two guards: I will do the same.”

After saying this, Khan immediately closed the communication without waiting for any reply from Alpharis on the other end.

"Qin Xia".

He turned around.

"During this period, you will be in charge of commanding the fleet."

"If they make any moves, attack them directly."

Qin Xiahan nodded.

"Don't you need to bring more people, Father?"

"No need."

The Khan shook his head.

"If Alpharis decides to take action, then the number of people doesn't matter."

"And if he really dares to do that."

Chagatai Khan strode away into the distance.

“Then I’ll cut off his head before he does.”

------

As a typical barbaric world, the first gift the Aryans gave Chagatai was a sandstorm that greeted them.

"Only the sound of wind and sand."

"Closely following behind the Gene Primarch," commented one of the Kheshig guards as he disembarked from the transport plane.

"It's so nostalgic: just like in Choglis."

"Yes."

The Khan nodded in agreement.

He also remembered the sandy and gravelly lands exposed by overgrazing on Chogris: every time the wind blew, the sandstorms that stretched for hundreds of kilometers were a hardship that threatened the survival of small tribes. The fear the Chogris people had for the people was second only to the "White Disaster" in the depths of winter, or the cavalry sent by the settled dynasties in the south to plunder.

As the sand and dust continued to rub against their helmets and goggles, the Primarch's brief recollection of the past was quickly interrupted. He looked around, quickly chose a direction, and set off.

The trek through the sandstorm seemed arduous, but it didn't actually slow them down. A few minutes later, they were out of the storm's reach and had arrived at a quiet basin sheltered by surrounding hills: the fortress depicted on the oracle stood there. It wasn't a permanent structure; it looked more like a temporary dwelling.

Alpharis sat atop the fortress, his blue scale armor peeking out from beneath his black hood, while two Alpha Legion soldiers stood further away, their figures almost swallowed by the storm behind them.

He concealed everything about himself: Chagatai despised this cowardice.

"You stay here."

The Primarch gave instructions to the two Kheshig, who glanced in the direction of the Alpha Guards and nodded.

Then the Khan walked forward.

The Hydra Lord had already jumped down from the fortress and was walking towards them with a smile on his face.

The two Primarchs met on a sandy field: the distance between them was just enough for them to wield their swords.

"Chagatai, my brother."

Alpharis greeted him with a smile.

"Hydra."

The Khan, however, was much colder, which clearly displeased Alpharis.

"You won't even call me brother."

How can I be sure that you are you?

In response to Khan's question, Alpha simply laughed.

"Do I need to repeat myself the stupid things you did on Nicaea? You should remember, right?"

"..."

The Primarch remained silent for a moment.

"Alpharis, brother."

He nodded.

"Why did you call me here?"

"Let's see if there's any hope for you."

Alpha's voice hissed like a venomous snake.

"If you did not accept the invitation."

"Then you're probably going to die."

"Thank you for your kind words."

The Khan snorted coldly.

“But Lemanlus alone is not enough to kill me.”

No: I wasn't talking about him.

Alpharis shook his head.

"You should be able to sense, Chagatai, that the war we are in is more dangerous than we anticipated."

“If you choose the wrong side: death is not just a threat.”

Chagatai frowned.

He could tell that Alpharis's words were not lies.

"What do you know?"

"Just like you see."

Hydra calmly lifted one side of his cloak.

Upon seeing the scene hidden by Alpha, Chagatai's pupils dilated significantly.

What did he see?
Scars.

blood.

broken.

Beneath Alpharis's black cloak lay the marks of countless battles. Bloodstains stained the Hydra Lord's pale blue scales, and marks from longswords and cannon fire were clearly visible on his arms and waist. In places where the armor could not protect him, many wounds had begun to scab over: it was evident that even the Primarch was not invincible.

Although Chagatai Khan only glimpsed a corner of Hydra's hidden scars, the Primarch's intelligent mind could still quickly deduce that Alpharis had not had an easy time during this period: behind the blood and ashes that had not been cleaned up, there were probably dozens or even hundreds of continuous life-and-death battles.

The Lord of White Scars fell silent.

After a long while, an expression that was almost mocking finally appeared on his indifferent face.

"No wonder they're cold-blooded."

"Haven't you given up the habit of getting to know people of your own kind?"

"Of course you can't change it."

Alpha calmly followed up with this sarcastic remark.

"When you are hungry, your animal instincts will take over."

"So, what are you trying to say?"

The Khan shifted his stance, slightly lowering his guard.

“Don’t tell me you can’t even manage your own 20th Legion, Alpharis.”

"Are your descendants rebelling against you?"

"In a sense, that's true."

The Hydra Lord nodded, even if it meant receiving a disdainful look from Chagatai Khan.

"But while I laugh at you, I also hope this will serve as a warning to you, Chagatai."

I know it sounds harsh to say this.

Alpharis lowered his cloak, concealing his face in darkness once more.

"But your offspring may not be safer than mine."

"..."

This statement did not immediately anger the Khan.

"I will not lose control of them."

"No matter what they want to do, I only need one sentence to control them."

"I don't deny that."

The lord of Hydra chuckled softly.

"But if you're really that confident."

Why are there no Terrans in your fleet?

"Why did they leave them all in Betangamon?"

Upon hearing this, a slight crack finally appeared on the previously calm and composed face of the White Scar Lord.

When he spoke again, his words carried a warning.

"I have already cut off many snake heads in the fleet."

“I wouldn’t mind doing it a few more times, Alpharex.”

"Suit yourself, brother, that's your fleet."

Hydra responded with a sinister smile.

"I just want to remind you: never let them off the hook when you shouldn't be soft-hearted."

"Otherwise, you'll end up like me."

"Caught in a vortex of trouble."

"We must lead half of the legion to engage in a life-or-death struggle with the other half."

"..."

Has the situation gotten that bad?

Chagatai Khan frowned deeply.

He knew, of course, that the Hydra Corps was in deep turmoil and anarchy.

Sometime after the Badab Crisis, in the Maelstrom territories that Guilliman had been forced to relinquish, a voice belonging to Alpharis quietly emerged: the High Lords seemed to have compromised, relinquishing some of the spoils gained in the Badab Crisis and effectively placing these lands under the command of the Hydra Lord.

The vast majority of Primarchs did not react to this change. After all, all of their blood brothers now had their own fiefdoms, so it was no big deal for Alpharis, the younger brother, to receive a piece of land. Even Guilliman, the former master, did not utter any rumors of dissatisfaction.

For this reason, the same Great Vortex Territory with its White Scars has actually been neighbors with the Hydra Legion for almost two or three decades.

Chagatai Khan, who was always astute, knew a little about the internal situation.

At the very least, the White Scar Lord was absolutely aware of the major event that Hydra was embroiled in a civil war.

He just hadn't expected that the so-called Legion's civil war would actually affect Alpharis, who was a Primarch.

This was somewhat beyond the Khan's comprehension.

“I don’t like you, Alpharex.”

Chagatai's expression turned serious.

"Even so, I have never doubted your control over your legions."

"In the end what happened?"

"This is what I wanted to tell you, brother."

The lord of Hydra spread his arms.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to persuade you."

"I'm just here to tell you the truth: part of the truth."

"As for what to do next."

"That's your own business, Chagatai."

"after all……"

“Your father never expected any strength from you.”

"..."

Even Chagatai Khan was stunned for a moment by these cruel words.

When I spoke again, there was inevitably some bitterness in my voice.

Should I be happy about this?

------

"Nobody cares about your feelings."

"They only care about what you want to do and what you are capable of doing."

"Is it loyalty or betrayal?"

"To sacrifice or to survive?"

"When you have power, when you stand on high."

"Your choices will no longer be your own, but those of everyone you can affect."

"You will make the choice for them."

"But at the same time, we must also remember..."

"Your status is no higher than theirs."

"Some people just don't understand the last sentence, which is why they bring the flames of rebellion back into the Milky Way."

"May the Emperor despise their names."

"Because a sharp blade will not forgive any kind of betrayal."

……

The afternoon sun shone on the yellow and black banners of the Imperial Fist and on the cold stone statues of Rogdorath.

It also splashed onto Sigismund's face.

After reciting the last vow for meditation, the leader of the three heroes of the Great Expedition slowly rose, and a servant standing beside him handed him a helmet painted black.

He whispered.

"The company commanders have arrived, Grand Marshal."

"Tell them to wait a little longer."

Sigismund then replied: His gaze remained fixed on the Primarch's statue.

"The next war is not far off."

"We need to seize the opportunity and put them to the test."

“This battle is different: we can’t let them act recklessly like before.”

The attendant nodded.

"In addition, there is one more thing, Grand Marshal."

"Lord Corax's transport fleet is only thirteen star systems away from here."

"And those [volunteer soldiers]."

"Their vanguard will arrive in three days."

"I see."

Sigismund nodded.

"Remember to remind me when the time comes: I'll personally go to pick you up."

The servant responded in a low voice and slowly withdrew.

Sigismund, who was kneeling in front of the Rogdorn statue, took a deep breath only after the door slammed shut.

He took one last look at the original statue.

"Father."

Compared to when he first left Terra, Sigismund's voice had become considerably hoarse.

His breath reeked of war.

"We haven't seen each other for a long time."

"I will follow your will and do my utmost for it."

"Here, I can assure you that I have used every effort I have made to do my best."

“But I know that if I lose the next war around Taran, it will all be for nothing.”

"..."

"Bless me, sir."

"Bless me and my warriors."

"Let us fulfill the responsibilities of the Imperial Fist."

"Let us either triumph or die in glory."

Donning the black helmet, Sigismund hesitated for a moment, then turned and left, letting the afternoon sun cast shadows on the statue of Rogdorn.

The stone statue, as hard as the original, silently watched as his proudest offspring departed.

Following in Sigismund's footsteps, millions of troops stood ready on the verdant lands of Taran, warships traversed near-Earth orbit, armored forces and knightly families answered the call of duty and honor, and their equally mysterious allies descended from the bridge alongside them, their gray armor concealing power.

Taran was prepared for war.

It was preparing to meet the army of the Death Guard, which was located several star sectors away.

Mortarion's envoy had already raised his scythe, and the letter urging surrender had long since traveled through the waves of the void to the ears of every Black Templar, to which they responded only with fervent breaths and gleaming blades.

War thirsts for the blood of everyone.

Even if it means burning Taran.

(End of this chapter)