Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 348 The Reluctant Choice of the Mezoa Patriarchate
March 841, The Shadow of Reign, Primitive Office.

Nimrod listened to Arsena Dunn's report and confirmed that the Eleventh Legion had captured five star systems on the outer edge of the Cyclops Cluster.

"My Lord, there are varying numbers of Mitu aliens in many star systems within the Cyclops Cluster."

"Many star systems in the Cyclops Cluster are suitable for human colonization."

Ninglu nodded slightly. He remembered that during the grand birthday celebration, when Horus Lupecal launched his attack on the Cyclops Cluster, the human empire established one hundred worlds in this region.

These worlds are all of considerable size, with a combined production capacity that is quite substantial, even exceeding that of super-large casting worlds like Lucius.

Although these worlds have not been developed on a large scale, some human colonists survive in this region, all of whom are enslaved by the Mitu people.

"The various battle groups continue their advance to clear out the Mitu aliens in the Cyclops Cluster."

"Dispatch the Second and Fifth Battle Groups to participate in the battle."

After resting, the Second and Fifth War Groups were able to participate in the later stages of the campaign against the Mitu.

As the 11th Army Corps advanced steadily, the 14th Army Corps, following Nimrod's orders, launched an attack on Zavarich.

The Fourteenth Legion's fleet pierced through the Mitu warships like a spearhead, reaching high orbit above the main star of Zavalich.

On the flagship's bridge, Chief Company Commander Balasin addressed Company Commander Tessus of the 7th Company:

"Zawalich is the breadbasket of the Mitu people. If we launch an orbital airdrop there, the aliens will definitely send troops to its rescue."

"In ground combat with Tongmitu, we can also leverage the advantages of our heavy infantry."

What Balazin did not explicitly state was that although the Twilight Raiders had achieved great success in Ainside, the Fourteenth Legion did not achieve commensurate results in the battles traversing the galaxy as the Great Crusade began.

The chief company commander saw this battle with Mitu as an opportunity for the "Twilight Raiders" to prove themselves, and he hoped to seize the opportunity given to them by Lord Ninglu.

He gave the order: "Conduct an orbital drop, and you will be in charge of the command."

The Fourteenth Legion's fleet hurled Dreadclaw drop pods toward Zacharic Prime.

As night falls, the Tersus rise to the surface and, in their signature tradition, launch an attack on their enemies.

The combat company commander issued orders through the communication network.

"attack."

"For the Throne of Terra! For the Emperor!"

The title of combat company commander of Theseus dates back to the "Unification Wars" period, and like the title of commander of the Second Company, it was an honor personally bestowed by the Emperor himself.

Tersus moved forward from the deployment point, raised his bomb gun, and fired two-round bursts at the anemone-shaped creature.

The guards and twilight raiders, led by the combat company commander, launched an attack on the target.

Like the agricultural world of the Empire, Zavalich has most of its land used for farming, and the Mitu people are concentrated in a few data points, making the "Twilight Raiders" a clear target.

Nathaniel Garro, born in Terra, followed his company commander forward, unleashing a barrage of explosives from his magazines onto the aliens.

Unlike many soldiers in the Legion, he was not worried about the Primarch's absence.

He has an emperor, whose master once led the Twilight Raiders on a great expedition.

Galo looked up at the distant sky, where a large number of strange spherical airdrop pods belonging to the Mitu people were falling from the sky like spores.

Although he was just an ordinary frontline soldier and not qualified to attend war conferences, he realized that the goals of the chief company commander and combat company commander were beginning to be achieved.

The Mitu were drawn to the attack by the Twilight Raiders, and what awaited them was a fierce battle.

Garo drew his power sword and shouted, "For Terra and the Emperor of Man!"

He charged into the Mitu's lines, his powered sword flashing with blood, while the bolt pistol in his other hand rang out, each shot a deadly attack. Garo swung his power sword, slashing at the Mitu.

The disintegrating force field hissed as it tore the alien apart.

Galo's memories were filled with battles, day after day.

It wasn't until the seventh month, when Garo first stepped into the Mitu people's building and saw the yellow, gelatinous substance turn to ashes in an explosion, that he realized the target of the struggle was the alien's food processing plant.

At the same time, the Council of Five Patriarchs, the traditional ruling body of Mezoa, convened at Temple No. 1.

A long robe that reached the floor enveloped the chief patriarch's mechanical body, and his sonic synthesizer emitted technological language in binary code.

Are there any signs that the Mitu fleet has left ahead of schedule?

The Second Patriarch issued a string of binary code:
The Cyclops Cluster is under attack / The Metu are suffering heavy losses.

[Zawalich//The Mitu people's granary/has been attacked.]

The Mitu people deployed over a thousand warships to intercept the enemy.

The Patriarch's code stirred up ripples in the council. Although the five-member Patriarch Council, based on logical analysis, tacitly approved the Metu people's periodic cleansing of flesh and blood assets, this was only the optimal choice, not the most ideal one.

Ideally, they would not want to lose any assets.

[Based on the database/The Mitu people's blasphemy progress is 44.13%/Is there a possibility that they will end it early?] The Third Patriarch issued a question code.

He is currently being purged; this is his district.

"No, the Mitu have not abandoned their purge policy," the Second Patriarch replied.

[My probe servant confirms/identifies reading feedback/the number of Mitu warships remains above 2,600.]

The Mitu people still maintain sufficient armed forces to guard against our resistance. The Fourth Patriarch, commanding the Papacy and the defensive fleet, sent the code in frustration.

If only we had divine machines...

The code he sent did not form a complete logical chain, but the other sheikhs understood what he meant.

Mezoa's surface is mostly covered by volcanic lava, making it unsuitable for building a Titan base.

While the volcanoes provided the foundries with vast energy resources and the volcanic rocks provided high-quality ore, giving Mezoa a powerful production capacity, they also prevented them from possessing the Titan Legion.

Before the appearance of the Metu, the Patriarchate of Mezoa only considered the lack of divine machinery as a regret, but did not think that volcanic lava would be a real obstacle.

After all, their old rival, the Forgeworld of Pendex, also lacks the Titan Legion.

But everything changed after the Mitu people appeared.

In particular, the Mitu people's territory did not reach Pandex, and they were continuously attacked. Despite having the advantage, they fell behind their old rival.

More and more people are viewing the volcanic lava of Mezoa as a curse on resources.

Among the emerging schools of thought in Mezoa, four sects claimed this was a warning from the Om Messiah that their forging world was about to suffer a devastating crisis and should be abandoned.

[No chance...] Just as the Chief Patriarch was about to make a decision to continue the policy of non-resistance, the Last Patriarch, who was in charge of monitoring activities in the subspace, suddenly activated the code.

[The Aether Sage reports/A shadow falls over the warp/A massive fleet has appeared.]

The Fifth Patriarch's words sparked a wave of questions in Parliament.

[The Mitu Fleet?]

[A force attacking the Mitu people?]

(End of this chapter)