Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 977 (08.976): "Military service guarantees citizenship rights!"

The soldiers assembled on the training ground, where yellow sand filled the sky. The wind whipped up sand and gravel, whipping their brand-new, well-fitting blue and white uniforms, making a rustling sound.

Colonel Jadwiga stood before them, her hand on the hilt of her sword, her posture upright as a pine tree.

Her voice was loud and powerful, piercing through the howling wind:

"Soldiers! Although you have not been dragoons for very long, today, the Imperial Navy has chosen you!"

"You will take off your uniforms from Sintira and put on brand new ones, also blue and white, but belonging to the Imperial Navy!"

The soldiers with horse ears looked at each other, their faces showing confusion and bewilderment.

But for these people who were already struggling to make ends meet with their families, any change was better than the same despair, so there were no objections in the queue.

They are simple and honest. If the emperor's great human kindness could spread even the slightest bit of warmth to them, they would be willing to die for that distant god-emperor.

"As for what you care about most, your salary that you depend on for a living!"

"Your new commander, High Lord Colonel Horatio Cochrane of the Imperial Navy, has carefully and meticulously devised a brand-new standard of treatment for you!"

"Private First Class, daily wage, 165 copper cash!"

"One hundred and sixty-five copper cash a day? Really?" These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, immediately stirring up suppressed, surprised discussions among the soldiers.

Yadwiga then announced the treatment guidelines for privates, sergeants, and senior sergeants.

"Salaries will be settled on a fixed quarterly basis, instead of the previous semi-annual settlement!"

Horatio could tell that the soldiers were very satisfied with the treatment they received from the Imperial Navy.

He knew they would be satisfied.

In terms of a private's daily wage, this is equivalent to the daily wage of a skilled worker in Sintila, enough to meet the living needs of a midnest family.

Most of them, if they hadn't joined the army, would never have been able to find such a job in Sintila, no matter how hard they tried.

He had already instructed Yin Shuyao to thoroughly investigate the social salary and social structure of Sintila, and based on this, he formulated a salary standard that was enough to make anyone work for him.

Yadviga gave Horatio a knowing look, nodded, and then walked up to the soldiers, speaking in a loud voice:
"Officers and soldiers! Salary is but a tiny, insignificant part of the rights you are entitled to!"

"Today, I solemnly declare to you that all those who enlist in the military will be granted full civil rights!"

This is not a pseudo-citizenship with hierarchical divisions that the Sintira nobles promised you!

Rather, it is a genuine imperial citizenship right officially registered by the Ministry of the Interior and protected by the Imperial Code!
You offered your hearts to the God-Emperor, and I will vindicate you before the God-Emperor's throne!

"citizenship……!?"

This word, like a thunderclap, exploded in the minds of all the soldiers.

Many officers and soldiers thought they had misheard, while those who hadn't were stunned.

Their hearts began to race, and many of them blushed with excitement. The reason they were displaced, classified as third-class citizens, and had no standing in Sintila society was because they lacked an officially recognized citizenship right, acknowledged by the Ministry of the Interior.

In an extremely conservative and rigid human empire, only those who possess "citizenship" possess "human rights".

This is no longer a matter of whether or not they have political rights; it determines whether they can survive in human society like real people.

Those without citizenship are no different from demi-humans; they are people abandoned by imperial society.

Survival, production, work, and life will be subject to endless discrimination. They will have no civil rights and will not even have the opportunity to defend themselves in front of bailiffs—because they do not need to explain their law enforcement basis to people who cannot even be called "human" in the legal sense, nor give them the opportunity to defend themselves, let alone make an exception.

"Citizens! The Imperial Navy will give each and every one of you equal opportunities for advancement, regardless of your origin or social class!"

Anyone who demonstrates exceptional ability in combat can be promoted regardless of their background!
Each and every one of you is an important part of the Empire. It is because of millions of you that an insurmountable wall of people has been erected before the Golden Throne! The Empire will grant every loyal subject the rights they deserve!

Military service guarantees citizenship rights!

"My lord, please give the order! We will fight for you with all our might!"

"For His Majesty the Divine Emperor!" "Long live the Divine Emperor! Long live the Imperial Navy! Long live the citizens!"

The slogan "Join the army to gain citizenship" was raised, and the soldiers cheered excitedly, their morale soaring to unprecedented heights. Horatio knew very well what they desired, and he would use the most precious things these soldiers needed most in exchange for their absolute loyalty.

The soldiers in their white uniforms and blue armor enthusiastically painted their new vehicles with the same white base coat as their uniforms, then painted the Imperial Navy Orbital Drop Troopers abbreviation "O·D·T" in large letters on the sides of the vehicles with a deep, void blue paint. The turrets were then painted with the same blue paint as company and battalion identification marks.

To be honest, the pure white base coat combined with the void blue identification mark makes it exceptionally clear and eye-catching, allowing people to see the information it carries at a glance.

As for camouflage... well, it's the 41st millennium already. For large-scale integrated combat forces, who still cares about camouflage?
In the face of overwhelming artillery fire and orbital strikes, rapid identification of friend from foe is what large-scale combined arms battle groups need most.

This is especially important for the most core air units in the Imperial Navy.

Pilots have very little time to distinguish between friendly and enemy vehicles on the ground, but if their own vehicles are painted in a conspicuous white color, they can be easily distinguished from the air, thus minimizing the probability of friendly fire.

"What a beautiful paint job! Just like the 'White Knight' from the legend of Calicus!" Colonel Yadwig exclaimed excitedly as he watched the vehicles with their elegant blue and white paint schemes slowly start up, their engines emitting a deep roar.

"That's right. I can see from here which battalion and company a wheeled armored vehicle a kilometer away belongs to."

This will be very beneficial for the air units that will need to frequently coordinate with you in the future.

I think Fasha and her team could spot the positions of friendly ground vehicles from a great distance.

Suddenly, Horatio heard someone approaching rapidly beside him. He turned his head and saw the half-brigadier general Poniatovsky hurrying along.

"What happened?" Horatio asked.

"This concerns the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, sir."

“From now on, please address me as ‘Captain Citizen,’ Citizen Poniatovsky.” Horatio simply chose to go with the flow and conform to the strong “republican” atmosphere of the Calissis Sector.

The man was taken aback for a moment, but quickly understood.

"Yes, Captain, Citizen! The passengers on those wrecked passenger ships anchored in orbit... they are dying a horrible death!"
-
Having solved the vehicle and equipment problem, Horatio faced another unexpected situation—the immigrants on the passenger ship he escorted were unable to reach their destination, Sintira or Polaberia.

The passengers on board were forced to remain in Minerva. Their numbers numbered in the millions, no small matter. The local Astral Army authorities were struggling to accommodate so many people in a short time on this sand-swept, harsh planet.

As a result, friction between races and classes intensified in the makeshift, temporary camps on Minerva.

The elegantly dressed Sintira people arbitrarily drove away the Polaberian immigrants with horse ears, denouncing them as "third-class citizens" or even "lowly demi-humans."

Crime, fights, and group disputes frequently occur within the resettlement camps.

Ultimately, under the combined influence of money, social connections, and political power, the Sintira flintlock troops responsible for maintaining order drove all the Polabereans into a refugee camp surrounded by barbed wire, openly implementing a policy of racial segregation.

These third-class passengers, who were also stranded on this sandy beach due to the grounding of their passenger ship, were imprisoned like prisoners.

Furthermore, the Sintila authorities' blatant favoritism towards the Sintila people and their unequal distribution of supplies led to a large-scale outbreak of plague and famine in the refugee camps. Women, children, the elderly, and the infirm lacked even a single piece of clothing to keep warm in the cold desert at night.

Those tattered tents that let in drafts could only provide very limited warmth.

Many people with weak constitutions fall asleep and never see the sun rise the next day.

Horatio pondered for a moment, sensing an opportunity to recruit soldiers.

The two battalions were expanded into six, but the army was still far from being at full strength. And right now, there was another group of refugees who were poorly clothed and starving. If handled properly, they could become an excellent source of labor and a potential source of soldiers.

"Where is the location?"

“It’s about five kilometers to our southeast. You can see those high walls made of barbed wire from here.” Poniatovsky pointed to the fences that were faintly visible in the yellow sand in the distance.

"Colonel Yadwiga is a citizen!"

"Present! What are your orders, Captain and Citizen?"

"The first task has begun. Mobilize the first battalion."

Horatio squinted at the barbed wire fence that resembled a prison, and said decisively, "We're going to the flintlock regiment to rescue those Imperial civilians who are being discriminated against and dying."

(End of this chapter)