Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 1019, 09.1018: 'A New Crisis'

"Still... haven't they found Captain Harvey yet..."

Horatio's voice rang out in the silent captain's cabin, carrying a hint of weariness that even he himself was unaware of.

On the holographic projection, Major General Rana's face, covered in sand and dust, was filled with regret.

"Our troops have conducted a thorough search of the surrounding area, even plowing the sandy area with probes and entrenching tools, but apart from charred metal and vitrified gravel, we have not found any human remains in any of the shell craters."

I think... your officer on board must be missing.

Please accept my deepest condolences, Your Excellency. This is war; nothing is ever certain.

"Thank you for your help, Major General Rana. See you later."

"See you later." The young major general gave Horatio a proper military salute. Then, the communication signal was cut off, and a higher-priority interstellar communication request was forcibly inserted.

"Finally got in touch with you, young man. A lot has happened lately. How have you been in Calicus?"

A holographic image, flickering and covered in snowflakes, appeared before Horatio.

Major General Edward Perug's indistinct voice came through the cold metal mask of a sonic array servant.

This strange machine is directly connected to the Star Language Tower on the ship. Through a thick psionic conduit, it transmits distant star language communications from the other side of the galaxy to this psionic container made of living tissue and machinery, where it is then interpreted into information that mortals can understand.

Therefore, the voice emitted from the sound array is not that of the speaker.

Depending on the psionic interference of the warp storm and the varying resolution of the servants, the original voice may transform into a deep male voice, a shrill female voice, or even an emotionless electronic voice.

"To be honest, not very good."

Horatio sighed, a bitter tone in his voice. "My forces suffered heavy losses. When we arrived at Calicith, we were thrown directly onto the Whirlwind Line by a sudden warp storm."

I joined forces with the Toulon fleet, the fortress of Calicus, and just wiped out the main fleet of the rebellious duchy.

But after this bloody battle, my 'Swift Eagle' was also severely damaged and urgently needed to return to dry dock for major repairs. Now I'm stuck, unable to leave or return.

"You have passed the God-Emperor's test, child. Congratulations." Peru's voice carried a hint of relief. "Don't worry, we will handle the aftermath. Where is Judge Thei?"

“Our judge is currently conducting a covert operation. She hasn’t told me her specific movements, but I have a general idea of ​​what she’s doing. I will continue to monitor her movements and ensure her safety.”

"Yes, I'm leaving it to you, reliable young man."

I am now leading my fleet at full speed to the Calithis sector to meet you.

This is the highest order from the Starfield Naval Command. The development of the situation has exceeded the initial expectations of Admiral Delong, Commander-in-Chief of the Starfield Fleet.

"If they had known things would turn out this way, they wouldn't have sent only the Gothic fleet to Calicus in the first place."

"What happened?" Horatio immediately became alert upon hearing Major General Peru's words.

"Due to a sudden subspace storm, the Eye of Fear defenses were breached."

An unimaginably large chaotic fleet emerged from it.

According to naval witnesses guarding the Eye of Fear defenses, this included one of our most dreaded adversaries—the End.

Whether or not that flagship is truly the legendary End Ship, the situation is extremely dire.

Every time the Plague Fleet is deployed, it means that countless worlds will wail in destruction and decay.

Those worlds corrupted by them will be beyond repair, becoming a malignant tumor with endless devastation. Admiral John Jervis of the Starfield Headquarters Fleet is urgently summoning all fleets to ensure the complete destruction of these malevolent entities before they cause even greater catastrophe.

"I am leading a fleet to Calicus to meet you."

Your new warship, the Tireless, has completed its main body replacement and refitting.

However, due to the urgency of the situation, the subsequent debugging work could only be carried out during the voyage.

I will personally escort this warship and your crew to Calicut. Once you board, you must immediately rendezvous with Admiral John Jervis's fleet.

"What about you?"

"The Fortress-Toulon fleet was swept back to Calicus by that damned storm, and a considerable portion of its forces have yet to report back."

I must plug that breach before they manage to regroup and drive that Chaos fleet back to the Eye of Terror. Once you arrive, simply follow Admiral John Jervis's orders.

Your current orders are to remain on standby in Calicus and focus on building your orbital landing force.

We'll be using them soon. Good luck, young man.

I heard that the Greenskin wave has also been swept towards your area by this warp storm. Be careful.

Thank you, you too.

The communication ended with a piercing shriek from subspace echo interference.

dong dong.

A crisp knock came from outside the captain's cabin.

"Please come in."

His voice was received by the internal sonic array, and the heavy armored doors of the captain's cabin slid open rapidly to the sides. Colonel Yadwiga walked in.

“I have come to thank you, High Commander.”

"Thank you?" Horatio turned his head slightly, asking with some confusion.

“You have kept your promise. You have accomplished what I have always wanted to do but have never been able to.” She said with a smile, looking at the display rack behind Horatio’s desk, which was covered with banners of war merit.

"Oh, you mean the 'service guarantee for citizenship' thing, right?"

"Once, full of enthusiasm, I promised my soldiers that as long as they joined our military reform forces, they would obtain full citizenship rights."

But later I realized that ideals are always too far removed from reality.

Individual strength is ultimately too weak. We were unwilling to compromise, nor did we deign to unite. Eventually, the Ministry of the Interior grew increasingly indifferent towards us, like a superior adult coldly watching a few ignorant children fight over a trivial toy.

Now I finally understand. To achieve our ideals, we must unite with everyone we can. If I remember correctly, you are a nobleman, aren't you?

“I am indeed a lord.”

“My brother Jean and I are also nobles. But it turns out that even nobles can fight alongside ordinary people for common ideals.” She paused for a moment, finally revealing the true message she had come all this way to convey:
"You said before that you would help me fight for the liberation of Polaberia. Were you serious?"

"Yes. I am reluctant to make promises lightly because I always keep my promises."

"Then, I will accompany you to Sintira."

Where is your brother?

"He must have his own things to do. The task he assigned me is to assist you in building the force you want."

But we also have our own dealings.

Therefore, once I arrive in Sintira, I will search for clues about the knight mech my mother left behind. At the same time, I will also push through the Ministry of Military Affairs to expedite the recruitment and site selection for the orbital landing force's training base.

“I think using the word ‘transaction’ is too mercenary.” Horatio rose from his command throne and slowly walked to her. “We are not those schemers vying for power, and what we do is not a cold exchange of interests.”

What we are doing is a great cause. A cause for the survival of all humankind.

Horatio stepped forward: "Since I am in the midst of the republican movement, let me embrace the republic."

Before being an imperial nobleman, I was first and foremost an imperial citizen, and I am proud of that.

During my stay in Sintira, please address me as Horatio Cochrane, citizen.

Then, he extended his hand to her: "Nice to meet you, Ms. Citizen. This is also my career."

Looking into his sincere and powerful eyes, the female colonel realized that she had always underestimated the ambition and vision of the man before her.

"You are right. What we are doing is a great undertaking. We welcome your guidance, Your Excellency!"

The colonel grasped his hand tightly, and then gave him a beautiful and efficient Eagle Salute.

(End of this chapter)