Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 963, page 08.962: 'A Bond of Gratitude'

"Acting Captain Louise told me that a Calicus fleet returning from the Eye of Fear defenses warped to the vicinity of our ship. They communicated with our ship, and their leader was looking for you, but you were not there. Captain Louise told them your location, and they are now coming down to find you."

"Understood, I'm busy right now, I'll talk to you later." Horatio's attention was still occupied by the escalating conflict in front of him, and he responded absentmindedly, lashing the man rolling on the ground with another whip.

"Stop! Show mercy! Your Excellency! Show mercy!"

At the end of the road, another group of Sintira flintlock musketeers arrived, marching in formation with gongs and drums.

They surrounded several men on horseback. The leader, seeing the Astral Army Major General being whipped and scurrying for cover on the ground, was horrified and quickly spurred his horse forward, shouting to stop him.

The newcomer was none other than Lieutenant General Billon of the Astronautical Army. According to the account of the half-dead Dumulier on the ground, he was supposed to arrive three days later.

Horatio glared fiercely at the newcomer, his anger growing even stronger.

Who gave that damned order to fire—this piece of trash standing right here, or this guy who's always been in the rear?
But his gaze was soon drawn to another person.

Behind Vice Admiral Biron, on a tall black horse, sat an old man dressed in the uniform of a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Navy.

He wore a high-level tactical analysis prosthetic eye that emitted a faint green light in his right eye. Although his hair was gray, his gaze was as sharp as a hawk's.

He first glanced at Horatio, whose clothes were disheveled from the violent beating, then looked at the Astronaut Major General who was still rolling and groaning on the ground. His expression was as stern as an iron plate, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

“Decent! Mind your manners! Admiral Latouch-Trewell has arrived! Lord, the Admiral has come specifically to see you!” Lieutenant General Billon shouted.

call--

Horatio exhaled a hot, angry breath, and with a swift motion, he tossed the Nine-Tailed Whip to a nearby soldier.

He grabbed the hem of his magnificent military uniform and pulled it down forcefully, instantly straightening the slightly wrinkled shirt from the violent movement.

The navy cloak draped over his shoulders flew backward due to the force of the tugging on his clothing, and two boarding squad sergeants quickly stepped forward to catch it.

The two rows of heavy medals on his left breast swayed violently with his movements, making a crisp metallic clanging sound.

He pursed his lips and used his hands to slightly pull open the Loyalty Eagle Medal that was restricting the body's heat dissipation from his uniform collar.

Facing an admiral from the Calissis fleet, he did not show the timidity that most junior officers unconsciously display when meeting their superiors. Instead, he displayed the discipline and spirit that a seasoned imperial soldier and a loyal descendant of the God Emperor should have, with an extremely natural and murderous aura.

"High Lord Colonel Horatio Cochrane of the Imperial Navy Gothic Fleet reporting for duty!" His voice was loud and clear, and his movements were firm and efficient, instantly transforming him from a furious punisher back into a meticulous professional soldier.

This gesture slightly eased the furrowed brow of General Latouch-Trewell.

A soldier who acts with such courage and a strong sense of honor would never lay a hand on a leader of another military department without a reason.

He was no ordinary troublemaker unless something happened that forced him to punish the man himself.

“I must give special mention!” Vice Admiral Billon’s voice was full of obsequiousness and fawning, perfectly matching his obese and greasy appearance. “This is the famous ‘Master of Single-Ship Duels’ of the Callisi Fleet! An outstanding commander of the Grand Fleet! The master of Callisi naval tactics and techniques! ...Admiral Latouch-Trewell!”

Horatio's reasoning was not hard to understand. After all, there was an old adage in the Calicus Sector: "The best Sintira are in the fleet."

Here, joining the Imperial Navy or becoming a wandering merchant is far more prestigious and honorable than serving in the Astragalus Force. Biron's eagerness might be to pave the way for certain members of his family in the Navy; there are always various reasons why this Astragalus Vice Admiral would need the help of an Imperial Navy Admiral.

"What happened here, Colonel Cochrane, High Lord?" the old general spoke, his voice like two pieces of granite rubbing together. "Why did you assault Major General Dumourie?"

"Reporting, Admiral!" Horatio's voice was powerful and resonant, making the air buzz. "Seven Terra hours ago, our ship's Operations Lieutenant, Engineering Lieutenant, and a carefully selected elite special operations force, after successfully intercepting and seizing classified documents for the Sintira flintlock musketeers, were subjected to saturation fire from the Sintira flintlock musketeers' attached artillery units just as they were about to escape! Their fate is now unknown, but they will undoubtedly suffer heavy casualties!"
The missing crew included several senior technical officers and non-commissioned officers from our ship; such a heavy loss could have been avoided simply by following the proper procedures.

Horatio pointed at Dumourier, who was crawling on the ground, and shouted angrily:

"What is infuriating is that they did not coordinate or notify our troops in any way before opening fire! And they were fully aware that friendly forces were carrying out military operations in that area!"

General Latouch-Trewell turned his gaze to the disheveled Dumourie on the ground.

The Star Realm Major General, whose heavily made-up face was covered in bloody welts from being whipped by the Nine-Tailed Whip, hurriedly crawled over from the ground, his clumsy movements aggravating his wounds, causing him to howl in pain.

Is this true?

"I don't know!" Major General Dumourie, his mouth swollen and bleeding, covered his mouth and managed to reply incoherently, "I... my line infantry unit has just arrived, and the attached artillery unit is not under my command!"

As he spoke, he cast a reproachful glance at Lieutenant General Biron beside him.

"Huh?!" Admiral Latouch-Trewell's gaze pierced Biron like a sharp sword.

"Uh..." Cold sweat instantly streamed down the fat, greasy man's temples. "At the time, I... I was in the rear, taking stock of the frontline fighting forces, planning... planning the general offensive for the liberation of the planet! But rest assured! I will definitely find out who had the audacity to order the firing! I guarantee I will bring you his head!"

"You'd better get on with it quickly. This matter concerns the casualties suffered by Imperial Navy officers and soldiers due to the Astronautical Army. At such a critical moment, anyone who dares to create a rift between the Astronautical Army and the Imperial Navy will not have a good ending!"

"Yes, Admiral! Please rest assured, we will thoroughly investigate the matter of our noble Imperial Navy officer being injured by friendly fire!"

"Not only do I demand that you investigate the cause of the accident, but I also demand that you send people to conduct a thorough search of the shelling area. I want to see the missing soldiers alive or dead!"

"Tch. It's just a captain and a second lieutenant... How dare a mere colonel defy me like this? Just you wait..." Major General Dumourie, who was crawling away from Horatio as if he had seen a ghost, cursed through gritted teeth.

"What are you saying? Major General Dumourie, if you have something to say, say it out loud, don't beat around the bush."

General Latouch-Trewell frowned, looked at the disheveled major general by the horse's hooves, and said in a lecturing tone:
"You don't seem to realize how serious things are!"
In the Imperial Navy, naval lieutenants are extremely important mid-to-high-ranking officers; they are the core personnel who are essential for a warship to sail and fight!
Each department has only one captain. From frigates and destroyers to cruisers and even battlecruisers, the entire ship has no more than 15 captains.

Although they were called captains, their rank was equivalent to that of lieutenant colonel 'battalion commander' in their respective armies.

Upon receiving instructions from the captain, who acts as the brain of the ship, the lieutenants who serve as the heads of various departments will immediately implement the captain's orders from a technical perspective. Without them, the warship would be like a crippled or disabled person.

Now, High Commander Cochrane has lost his Operations Department Captain, and the Engineering Department Technical Officer is crucial to the survival of the entire warship in the fierce battle!

Losing several experienced officers could reduce his warships' combat effectiveness by 30% or even more!
The disruption of a capital ship's combat capabilities and loss of damage control could lead to the collapse of the battle line, which in turn would result in the defeat of a naval battle, and the defeat of a naval battle could very well lead to the fall of an entire subsector! This is not simply a matter of losing a few officers! Do I need to explain any further?! Now! Go and find the missing personnel!

The old general shouted at Dumoulier in a booming voice, as if he were giving orders from a warship.

"No...no need, Your Excellency." Upon hearing this, Major General Dumuriy lowered his head and said with his tail between his legs.

(End of this chapter)