Warhammer: Start with a dog.

Chapter 599: Iron Warriors Never...

*Warning: Old man fans please watch carefully
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“There are always people who tell me optimistically that they firmly believe that this terrible situation is not the emperor’s original intention, but is just a temporary emergency measure that he was forced to take.

I can hardly face their hopeful eyes, hoping that I can tell them that everything and life will be better after the war, and that they can live and work in peace.

You have been doing the work of a father, a king, and a god for at least 30,000 years, and the position you have chosen for yourself has always been high and mighty. During this period, there are at least a thousand or even ten thousand masterpieces that describe intrigue, betrayal, conspiracy, murder, fratricide, and fratricide.

Have you really read them carefully? Is your vast memory, which you are so proud of, just a treasure trove of dust? What have you learned in your endless life?
And you didn't even prepare for yourself a backup plan for betrayal, accidental death or inability to manage before such a big action. You just keep asking us for sacrifices, more sacrifices, endless sacrifices! You ask for sacrifices to prove your loyalty. For the sacrificed, how is it different from the Mara who asks for sacrifices?

My sons... I can no longer bear the weight of so many deaths of dreamers... You may be one of the most powerful psykers I have ever seen, but you are an extremely bad father and an incompetent commander.

I think that you are used to your opponents always being charmed by your abilities and handing over their troops, and they collapse so easily after believing your words. Therefore, over such a long time, you have not developed any positive, ordinary combat thinking at all. Once you encounter a stronger enemy, you will not be able to fight against the wind.

The victory was won by us, and we give it to you. - Even if you read what was instilled into the poor boys' heads, it would not be like this. I can't stand it anymore. This goes on... How can I... I must find a way... Maybe... Brothers... help..."

——An unsigned fragment of a notebook in Old High Gothic, found and sealed by the archaeological team of the Iron Destiny in the wreckage of the unknown Glorious Queen battleship
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So, in the next afternoon when the sunlight was adjusted to imitate 121 p.m. at 37 degrees east longitude and degrees north latitude of ancient Terra, the audience request submitted by Belisarius Kaur was approved - it is not ruled out that Mr. Ramezan Kalosini himself actually wanted to take a closer look at this great sage who was nicknamed "Dora Kaur" by his hometown people - but he was very puzzled as to why he had to add a request to see him alone or he could not present the most amazing gift to the box with "burn after reading" written on the back.

"Isn't that what he wants to offer?" He wondered as he consulted with his beloved border collie. "Isn't that Guilliman's job? I'm a little worried about whether we can handle such a big deal," he said optimistically. "We can always deal with it... It's not likely to be something as crazy as Belisarius Cawl trying to assassinate me."

Although Perturabo could fully guess that Belisarius Cawl might be hiding something in such a mysterious way, some residual knowledge that Ramizarne didn't know made him not happy at all about this sentence.

"Let's see what he has to say first," he said. "If he really intends to hand over the Primaris technology and the Improved Astartes that have been stored for ten thousand years, and if he is carrying a few key items with him, we will need to exercise some control over him. We absolutely cannot let him run around the galaxy this time."

"But he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would be controlled obediently, right? As far as I know, his Ark Explorer King is a fully forged ship that can sustain its own production in a very unreasonable way, so he can travel all over the galaxy."

Perturabo BC gave Ramizarn a gloomy look, then jumped down from his seat and onto his knees, stretching his limbs. His dedicated massage officer immediately and tactfully massaged him from the back of his head with two parallel 37-degree constant temperature multi-angle leather massage heads.

"You are absolutely right about that." The warm animal with black and white fur narrowed his eyes, raised his head in the sunlight and motioned for the other party to scratch his chin. The golden light reflected colorful glimmers on the tips of his shiny fur. "Belissarius Cawl is a big trouble."

"But he's been pretty loyal so far, hasn't he?"

"But Belisarius Cawl's biggest problem isn't his loyalty."

"what is that?"

"It's because..." Perturabo BC thought for a moment, stood up, and shook himself evenly from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail, becoming more fluffy. "To put it mildly, it's because of his birth, his experience, his poor memory, his courage, and his high productivity like a sunfish. Any one of them alone is not a problem, and even two of them are acceptable, but unfortunately he has all of them."

"Huh? What?"

"We will know soon. If necessary, I will explain them to you after the meeting. This is not something that can be explained in a few words. And before I know 'him' for sure, I cannot and will not tell you some forbidden knowledge. This will do us no good."

Perturabo BC stretched his forelimbs and spread his paws again, then jumped off his knees and walked to the door of the suite. He stood up skillfully and unlocked the door with his forepaws. Before walking in, he paused. "It won't take a moment. I'll wait next door until your meeting is over. If you don't know how to answer, just shut up and ask me in your mind."

"No problem. You are so capable, thoughtful, and handsome, my Perturabo! The most perfect puppy in the universe!"

"...Don't add the final noun every time. I think your compliments will sound more pleasant."

With the last flick of the white tail tip raised high, the door was closed, and then the tiny gap in the door slowly merged into the paint around the wall.

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Belisarius Cawl never thought that he was no longer the same person as the cloned youth born in the incubator on Mars ten thousand years ago, nor did he ever think that he was not a human being.

Even though he was now the Great Sage of Domination, had outlived anyone who had looked down upon him or enslaved him in the name of teaching, was only one step away from being the Forge General of Mars, had probably countless degraded versions of himself, was three times the height of a mortal man, could choose what combination of personalities he would use to face his interlocutors that day like putting on clothes, and only had two spots left of biomass - he still considered himself, Belisarius Cawl, the greatest human mind in the Empire and even in all of humanity.

One of the evidences is that he has been cloning his friend Qiufu, and has maintained their friendship for ten thousand years, and he is about to show his results to a Primarch - it is a pity that the person to be shown is not Robert Guilliman, but the revelation of the Primaris Space Marines at this moment after the Great Rift will undoubtedly be the most powerful and much-needed shot in the arm that mankind needs at this moment.

Since he was a human being and he had sworn an oath to the Emperor, the Omnimessiah himself, to perform his duties faithfully, then the priority should be to put the Primaris technology and the hundreds of thousands of Primaris Space Marines produced over the past ten thousand years, as well as the hundreds of special weapons and equipment he developed for them - from new power armor and bolters to flying vehicles and super-heavy tanks - into actual battlefield use as soon as possible.

This is what Galipo Decima (what a genius mechanical bartender!) told him after giving him a dozen or so - maybe more? - strong specials, and after the comprehensive sampling and analysis of the main personality of Cawl on the 10,548 of the 70,488 sub-Caws who were still awake, the Gestalt hive finally gave him a narrow vote victory, indicating that he should listen to the advice of this second genius who was almost on par with him in the art of war and innovation. So he finally chose to come to the Primarch, and proudly summoned one of his creations from the Explorer King to go with him.

When he was allowed to enter this mysterious office of the Chapter Master for the first time, he was prepared for today's surprise. Since the Archsage did not need to eat or drink, he actually knew very little about what was happening outside the armory, which was a bit counterintuitive. However, the two members of the Honor Guard guarding the door had already made his eyepiece busy and started working.

"...old and pure of a very high standard...what a surprise, I thought there were no specimens like this outside my cold storage...and this power armor, well...it has a classic look, but these subtle measurements suggest a lot of improvements...perhaps..."

"Master," the tall man beside him, wearing a very plain, gray, new power armor without any decoration or paint, had to remind him at just the right volume. He still wore his helmet during such an important audience. "We are already in front of the gate."

"Ah. You're right, Firstcast." Cawl turned his scalpel-like gaze away from the now alert survivors of Isstvan III. "Let's get the important business done first."

Next, they walked into the opened door, which was engraved with the most powerful secrets and runes that Kohl knew of.

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"Oh my God. The bone of Om Messiah." The great sage's eyes were caught by the feather among the many collections on the wall. "Isn't this..."

"I'm glad you like my collection, Great Sage." A majestic yet kind voice came from behind the desk at the far end. "So, what do you want to give me this time?"

"Ah, my lord." The Great Sage stood up. The building built for the Primarch made it more comfortable for a giant like him to walk. He bowed again and performed the Om Messiah Ceremony. "A great gift from ten thousand years ago, sir. It is presented out of loyalty to Om Messiah. Simple words cannot explain it. Please allow me to play a clip for you first."

"of course."

So, over the next dozens of minutes, they all saw together the astonishing number of bodies floating in methanol-like freezing chambers - each one, like the one next to him, was taller and stronger than the existing Astartes, and the number of freezing chambers emitting a bright blue light was simply impossible to count.

"Amazing work, great sage..."

"This is not the end yet! Sir! This is the accumulation of nine thousand years!" Cawl proudly continued to show more, those endless power armor niches that stretched to the horizon, those new dreadnoughts, tanks, and Thunderhawks that were neatly stacked like mountains...

"Wait... You mean, you started the research and production of Mark X power armor at least nine thousand years ago?"

"Yes, my lord! I worked diligently, but alone! Fortunately, my hard work has finally paid off! What is now presented to you is just a drop in the ocean of my work!"

So Lord Ramizane Kalosini frowned and continued to ask the Great Sage Belisarius Cawl a series of very basic but very soul-searching questions.

"So you've been watching for the past nine thousand years? Watching the galaxy become like this?"

"That is the order I received, my Lord, and I do not think that a pure scholar like me should be involved in cheap and tiresome politics. My great mind should only serve the great cause promised to me by Om Messiah in ten thousand years, and should not waste a single second on frivolous arguments and petty infighting of low taste."

"In that case...then why do you still want to be the Martian Forging General?"

"Because I think they are all too stupid. They will only bury their heads in piles of old papers, ruins and graves to dig, do archaeology, and repeat things that they don't even know the principles of. Only I, who am always innovating, can deserve that position, sir. I will lead Mars to a brand new world!" When it comes to this topic, a blazing flame ignites in the mechanical and flesh eyes of the great sage, "If you are willing to promise me a position as the Mars Casting General, I can certainly help you..."

"…Although I rarely repeat the words of other Primarchs, I think it is definitely not a good idea to agree to you at this moment, so my answer is 'Although I didn't say that this matter must not be allowed, it must not be allowed now.'"

"Why, my lord?" The Archmagos's carefully modulated and synthesized tone sounded almost as polite, disappointed, and with a hint of sympathetic restraint as a real human. "The Imperium now needs a banner that can raise its arms and unite everyone. The call of a Primarch and hundreds of thousands of Primaris Astartes can ensure this for Holy Terra and Mars."

"That's true. After all, power comes from the barrel of a gun. If someone like Guilliman, who is actually a loyal primarch, heard this, he would probably be happy to take your gift package first and discuss other things later."

"That's very interesting," Kahl replied, as some hidden mechanism in him began to stir. "You say he's loyal, as if you weren't."

"Well," Mr. Ramezan Kalosini saw the secret door on the wall open and Perturabo BC driving his vehicle in and nodded to him, so he nodded as well, and said to Belisarius Cawl who began to raise the corona cannon at him vigilantly, "After all, you are on the Iron Blood, and we are actually the Iron Warriors named Silver Skull."

"The Iron Warriors will never work for that old man again!"

The black and white furry tyrant roared.

(End of this chapter)