Warhammer: Start with a dog.

Chapter 433 Opportunity
Fulgrim meekly returned to his cell as the Iron Hands along the way almost sprayed plasma at him.

Then, after counting 1,200 heartbeats in the dark and finishing the work in his hands, he moved his body and quietly slipped out of his prison again through the narrow maintenance pipe in the room that cleaned the servitors.

Although he knew that if he left here now and was discovered by the Iron Hands, it would probably only make things worse, but sitting and waiting to die was definitely not the style of the Purple Court Phoenix.

He precisely controlled his muscle movements and steps, tiptoeing and "swimming" through the low space under people's feet like a nimble reptile until he came to the solitary cell area where the prisoners were held.

This area is located in the middle of the lower side of the Lakuan Conquest Hall. Unlike those "relatively normal" chapters that use a large number of mortal officers, marines and servants, the Lakuan clan deploys a large number of highly modified servitors, heavily armed guard servitors and a few technical sergeant brothers here to carry out security and technical management of the middle and lower decks.

Recently, due to the reawakening of the Ancient Hall of Conquest and more demands, the technical sergeants have been busy repairing the newly emerged alarm points, and the space available for people working here to operate has become much more ample.

The advantage of using a large number of servitors and machines in the supervision area is that they are generally firm, inflexible and not soft-hearted, making them very suitable for guard work. When necessary, they can blast jailbreakers or those attempting to escape into a pulp.

It is hardcoded into their programs that if someone comes to destroy the prison facilities, they must immediately shoot at all the cells to ensure that the prisoners are killed and cannot be kidnapped. If these are performed by humans, there may be unnecessary delays, vacillations or hesitations.

In addition, the machine is not easily tempted or shaken by the sounds that are still coming intermittently from the cell. The downside is that the machine servant cannot be considered a living person with subjective initiative and is very stubborn. This has been fully confirmed here - such as now.

Fulgrim emerged from the shadows and took a cautious step forward, just out of range of the servitor's alarm, before presenting his hidden identity data chip, which he had modified as much as possible, to the dangerously glowing mechanical scanning eye of the authentication servitor embedded in the cell door.

Obviously, despite the unfriendly but somewhat progressive "exchange" he had just had with Ferrus Manus and his offspring in his throne room, Fulgrim's seemingly impulsive rush out of the antrum was not simply because he wanted to prevent the immediate execution of all the prisoners and the accusations against him.

His perfect control and speed were enough for him to quickly snatch an identity data chip the size of a fingernail from the data tablet and parchment documents on the edge of Manus' desk as he passed by.

He had noticed this little detail when he was summoned several times before, and he seized the opportunity as he wished.

Yes, when Iron Captain Laos thought he had seized an opportunity, he didn't know that Fulgrim had also seized another opportunity, and was obviously more successful than him. If this loyal captain knew about it, he would probably be so angry that he would demand a fight to the death again.

Although most private documents can be handled paperlessly using data cables, and the Iron Hands look unruly, in fact, the documents they present to the Honorable Gene Father are still written meticulously in every detail.

And these files are obviously all carefully presented, including some file sets that have the producer's own personal label on them as data seals to prevent some ungrateful steel brothers from trying to steal or destroy their complete set of information and reports.

- In terms of putting digital signature seals on their own documents to prevent theft, they really have the legacy of the "academic debate" within the Mechanicus.

A fragment of thought that came out of nowhere suddenly occupied his mind, and Fulgrim couldn't help but smile, but soon the corners of his beautiful mouth flattened again.

Should he have been familiar with those Ohm Messiahs...?
These fragmented information labels that emerge from the depths of the ocean of memory from time to time are sometimes a nuisance. Although they are small and harmless, they seem to form a dense and endless net, and Fulgrim's soul is now the ignorant prey caught in the net, carefully exploring the outside through the meshes with his eyes.

The threat of the bull and the snake has always been there, just not now.

No matter what kind of existence gave him this chance to start over again, he decided that he would never make the same mistake again.

One cannot step into the same river twice.

He would get rid of him sooner or later.

The authentication servitor's scan was over, the scanning beam was retracted, and its shriveled mouth, which had been soaked in preservatives and looked gray and shriveled, opened and closed, spitting out mechanically synthesized speech.

+Authentication passed, entry granted. Do you want to record? +
"Cancel. Don't keep track of my trip."

+Authorization needs to be reconfirmed. Higher level code. +
He hesitated.

"keyboard."

With a slight clicking sound, a keyboard was brought to him.

He entered a code.

+Code confirmation. Equivalent to the highest security level confirmation. This visit will not be recorded in the storage. Please note that the current security level of this area is the highest. Do not stay longer than the safety limit to prevent possible contamination. +
Deemed equivalent? The cloned phoenix frowned. Shouldn't this be Manus's own security code that has not expired? He had seen it out of the corner of his eye before? Why is there a deemed equivalent? Is there a security code that is not deemed equivalent? In this place, besides Ferrus Manus, the Primarch, who else would use the same level of authority?
But as the adamantium alloy door of the cell in front of him began to slide open to both sides, the smell and sound that came out immediately made the young Phoenician put these sudden questions behind his mind. He hurried into the cell area and walked towards the hot, smelly, closed cells.

He paused briefly in front of several iron doors, carefully distinguishing the movements inside. As far as single cells were concerned, their soundproofing and sealing measures were actually quite good, but the Primarch's keen hearing and sense of smell made up for this. Then he stopped in front of a door that seemed the quietest.

He used the chip and code again, and the cell door opened.

This is a very cramped cell.

Or, to be more precise, it could be called a cell for a mortal, but for an Astartes of his stature it was like a ceramsite and concrete coffin.

The moment the cell door opened, a strong, moist and hot steaming smell mixed with a smell that was a bit like fragrance but more like a foul and pungent fishy smell hit her in the face, making her lavender eyes blink.

"Flavius?"

No one answered, but a muffled sound from the throat uttered short syllables.

He took another step closer. The cell was very narrow and he could reach the end in just a few steps. After the strong smell dissipated a little, he could see clearly the current appearance of the chief of the Phoenix Guard who used to be "him".

"Ah." He didn't know what to say for a moment, so he could only sigh with a mixture of worry and joy, and repeated his call again. "Flavius." The chief of the Phoenix Guard, who had fought alongside him in Byzantium and Walpurgis, had a heavy ball made of some acid-proof compound roughly stuffed into his mouth to prevent him from saying any blasphemous words or curses. There was also a defensive anti-psychic collar around his neck. His power armor had been stripped off, and his body, which was wrinkled due to a long period of lack of food and water, was tied tightly to a bare steel plate with many thick iron chains.

Judging from other signs, Arkennis may have been trapped in this silent and dark place and gone mad for a while since he followed him onto the flying fortress and was stripped of his arms and armor.

Stimulated by the sudden light, the officer of the Emperor's Children raised his wide-open, bloodshot eyes from between his messy, sweaty hair and stared blankly at the person in front of him.

The captain-general's irises reflected the flames of the sacred candles lit in the aisle, and his eyes were unfocused and almost unfocused.

Fulgrim sighed and began to wonder if the warriors who had conquered Byzas with only eight of them had temporarily lost their minds due to this mental torture. He should go to the spare target cell first.

But after focusing several times, Flavius ​​Alkenes was able to see the face of the person who came.

The light of reason, along with an expression of ecstasy, descended upon the Chief of the Guard, as if he were a human who had taken the first bite of the fruit of wisdom.

He blinked eagerly and raised himself as far as he could in the direction of the Primarch to show that he recognized him.

"Ah, good, then the... um... uh, acidic saliva in your mouth is a bit too much. Listen, Arkenis, do you remember the time when the eight of us occupied Byzas? Very good. I won't tell you my plan again, and you have to concentrate on listening to me next..."

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On the surface of Medusa, homeworld of the Iron Hands, night is endless.

If one is not a native of the area or is of local origin, even an Astartes would find it difficult to discern the change of seasons here.

Although it is hard to believe, since this dark world covered in thick clouds of radiation does orbit a star and rotates on its own, it must have seasonal changes.

Light is not a rare thing here. At least it can blow light-footed walkers half a step back under the strong wind. The huge lightning produced by the bombardment of high-energy cosmic rays in the upper atmospheric clouds and the ionized particles in the air (Note 1) collide with the unstable airflow, causing deadly, gorgeous, frequent and irregular electromagnetic explosions.

Cardan Sturnus, the war leader of the Iron Council, has changed his course and returned to Medusa ahead of schedule due to several secret and encrypted messages he received.

This disciple of Malkan Ferros had served in the Gsakka clan for many years as an Iron Captain before the Highlander Rebellion (460.M41).

During the infamous Battle of Corrums (260.M41), the young Iron Captain was already qualified to participate in the investigation of the Christos Conclave, and since the end of the Highland Year Rebellion, since 760.M41, he has been the stable War Leader of the Iron Council - the essentially nameless Chapter Master of the Iron Hands - for more than three centuries.

This made Cardan Stounus, though not famous at all, one of perhaps one or two Astartes Sons to have served in this position longer than his own Primarch, and another veteran of the Iron Hands Chapter who was expected to break the thousand-year mark.

If a librarian who came to this universe knew this, he would definitely say that there was a Blood Angels Chapter Master who would definitely be a good friend of Cardin.

And now, the de facto current Chapter Master, or 'War Master' as the Iron Hands were accustomed to calling him, this ancient and wise Astartes walked the halls of one of the few permanent fortresses on Medusa.

He was surrounded by many Iron Fathers and Iron Captains. Some members of the Iron Council seemed to have heard some rumors, but most of them only observed the recent unusual movements of the Lakuan clan and the even more unusual actions of the Hammonk clan.

——After all, the fundamental disagreement between the two major clans, Lakuan and Hammonk, has been known to everyone since before the advent of Ferrus Manus, but now.

A new report from their Mechanicum allies has been presented to Cardan Strunus and the rest of the Iron Council.

The serious nature of the accusations and the targets of them was one of the reasons why Cardin rushed back without objection.

Guardians of the Iron Hands Chapter's Reliquary and Grand Forge, custodians of the Gorgon Forge of the Medusa Relic, and caretakers of the repair and slumbering places of all the Chapter's sacred dreadnoughts, Clan Hammonk is suspected of major betrayal.

Considering the many titles that the Hammonk clan has always had, this is actually a terrifying accusation that cannot be described as "extremely serious" but rather "shaking the foundation".

This Mechanicus investigation report is actually very detailed, and the evidence, although not direct, is sufficient. There is no doubt that Clan Hammonk has put aside their clan differences and somehow connected with Clan Lakuan. These two clans have excluded all their loyal and long-term Martian allies, and are taking actions behind the back of the entire Iron Council. Clan Lakuan's Hall of Conquest took all their troops and flew out of the Medusa Galaxy at an abnormal speed without notification, and went to support the Battle of Shadenus, which was unnecessary, without even notifying of their return, but instead lost contact for a long time.

Cardan Stunus had little time to make a decision, for everything the Hammonk clan guarded was too important, and the Lakuan Hall of Conquest, which had mysteriously disappeared and reappeared, had only just reconnected with him.

If the loss of one third of the Iron Fathers in the Highland Rebellion was still close to recovery for the chapter, then the first problem that caused the Hammonk Clan to have flaws was not even the loss of so many STC fragments in the Gorgon Forge - but whether the tens of thousands of Dreadnoughts guarded and maintained by them in the Reliquary could still be trusted, awakened, and put into combat.

Splits and even wars caused by different beliefs are not uncommon in the history of the Iron Hands.

But what is important is how to deal with the problems at hand decisively and most efficiently at this moment when the storm is about to come.

Cold logic currents flowed through the circuits of the War Leader's body, which had mostly become a cybernetic body wrapped in power armor.

Finally he made a decision after a few seconds of meeting with Steel.

+Order the Medusa System and Planetary Defense Systems to prepare to fire at the Lakuan Hall of Conquest.+
+You are crazy!!!! That's above...+
+What's there? +
The war leader's gaze was menacing.

The Hastam chieftain of Hammonk, who was being escorted to the center of the hall, suddenly fell silent.

+Nothing. Let's see. Kadan Stounus. I'm not going to clean up your mess for you.+
(End of this chapter)