Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 925 08.924: 'Only those who survive have the right to talk about the future.'

At this moment, Horatio had no room for being picky.

He knew that the true measure of a commander's quality was not how many trump cards he had.

The key lies in how he turns a seemingly hopeless hand into a winning strategy.

He bent down and climbed into a command-type "Pegasus" armored vehicle. The heavy metal hatch slammed shut behind him, shutting out the sound of the wind.

He pushed open the observation hatch on the roof from the inside and leaned his upper body out of the vehicle; the icy wind immediately rushed into the cabin.

His gaze, sharp as a hawk's, swept over the troops gathering and setting off amidst the sandstorm.

The vehicle started slowly, the engine emitting a deep and powerful roar, and the tracks rolled over the dry, cracked earth, producing muffled sounds.

Immediately afterwards, the dragon riders' warhorses also began to stride forward with vigorous steps. The sound of their hooves, though mixed, was like a dense drumbeat, striking the earth and stirring up clouds of ochre dust.

As a mobile force, the New Earth Dragon Riders demonstrated remarkable coordination and responsiveness, even among the Astral Army. Their movements were swift and coordinated, completing their sortie formation in a very short time, like a long serpent of steel and flesh, winding its way toward the designated battlefield.

“I admit, our equipment looks a bit shabby,” Poniatowski’s voice came from the side.

He rode a magnificent black-maned warhorse, running alongside the chariot.

His signature horse ears swayed slightly on either side of his helmet, and even while he was talking, those ears, like the most sophisticated bird-finding instruments, sensitively detected any unusual movements in the surrounding wind.

He gripped the reins tightly with one hand and held the scabbard of his sword at his waist with the other, pointing the hilt at his orderly, silently advancing dragoons. He explained to Horatio on the chariot, "But I must say, under normal circumstances, our combat system is far from this shabby."

His eyes gleamed with a kind of almost fanatical pride characteristic of theorists, and he continued, “According to our military reformers’ vision, under the standard organization, we will combine three battalions with different functions—such as infantry, armored and artillery—into a ‘demi-brigade,’ and then two such demi-brigades will form a fully functional brigade combat group capable of independent operations.”

“Half-brigade…that’s a term rarely seen in contemporary military literature,” Horatio commented, his interest piqued.

“That’s right, but that’s precisely why it’s destined to be an extremely flexible organization!” Poniatowski emphasized, his face beaming with barely suppressed enthusiasm. “I dare say its flexibility and versatility surpass any traditionally organized Astronautical Army unit! It’s simply a brilliant idea!”

"How flexible?" Horatio's eyebrows rose slightly, revealing a hint of genuine interest. He wanted to hear from this passionate battalion commander how the so-called "military reformers" actually thought about modern warfare. This might be beneficial to the Imperial Navy landing force he was currently conceiving, which would involve integrated air and land operations.

“We all know that the traditional organization of the Astronautical Army is generally very rigid.” Poniatowski paused, then used a rhetorical question to guide the conversation: “For example, a line infantry regiment is almost entirely composed of line infantry, with an extremely singular function. But imagine what would happen if a mechanized infantry battalion, an armored battalion, and a line infantry battalion were organically combined together?”

"A combined arms force with strong combined arms capabilities."

Horatio immediately gave his answer, but his tone carried a hint of seasoned, cynical reality: "But I know all that you're saying. Ideals are lofty, but reality is harsh. I witnessed the Britons' fighting style firsthand during the Second Battle of Falstar."

They also have battalions and brigades, but in reality, they almost all fight independently. The vast majority of Astragalus Army units face the same situation.

Coordination between officers of different branches of the armed forces is extremely difficult, and lieutenant colonels from different units have to painstakingly negotiate and cooperate on the battlefield amidst the raging gunfire.

As a result, across the entire front, apart from the troops leading the main attack, other fronts struggled to receive timely armored support.

Horatio sighed softly, then continued, "Ultimately, it's to comply with the Military Code derived from the Astartes Code—'The regimental units of the Astral Army should have a single function to prevent rebels from controlling multiple military forces in the event of a rebellion, thus increasing the difficulty of suppressing the rebellion.'"

"Then, the Duchy of Severus still rebelled."

Poniatowski's voice suddenly turned low, carrying a hint of historical weight and irony, "That tyrant led his royal troops, each with their own functions, in a rebellion."

He combined different units and charged at our single-function Sintira flintlock regiments.

Ultimately… the flintlock rifle regiment was predictably routed. Because even the most sophisticated laser gun could never penetrate the frontal armor of a Leman Rustank.

Poniatowski's gaze fell on the dust rising on the distant horizon, his brow furrowed, a deep worry flashing in his eyes.

He said in a deep voice, “We all know that this kind of organization goes against the principles of the legal code. But this is the border of the Empire, Your Excellency. We can only consider whether this conforms to the legal code if we hold the front line first. Isn’t that right?”

Suddenly, his tense expression relaxed, as if he had figured something out, and he burst into a hearty laugh with an optimistic tone, his voice echoing in the wind: "So, let's leave the worries for later! If we are defeated and die on this godforsaken sand dune, then not only will we not have a 'later,' but even our descendants will not have a 'later.'"

His smile vanished, his gaze hardening like steel: "We must first survive and win this war. Only the victors have the right to discuss legitimacy."

Horatio watched the man's face shift instantly, a low chuckle escaping his nose. He nodded solemnly: "That's right, we can only discuss legitimacy after we survive."

"As for your question about the Wadizław family..."

Poniatowski pursed his lips, which were chapped from the wind and sand, his eyes darting away.

“I’m sorry, Commander, I cannot, and have no right to, uncover that sad history of the Vádłow family… If you insist on knowing, perhaps… perhaps it would be more appropriate for you to ask Colonel Jadwiga yourself. I’m sorry… you can ask about other things, and I will answer you to the best of my ability.”

(End of this chapter)