The Bizarre Adventure of the Warhammer Guard

After weeks of turbulent warp travel, the Holy Terra finally once again filled the entire view from the warship's portholes.

Looking out the porthole, the wreckage of the Orcish War Moon still hovered in orbit, while hundreds of Mechanicus sweeping ships continuously hauled the surrounding scrap metal out of the solar system.

Clearly, Kubik complied with Elpis's demands, and even the Forging General of Mars, one of the Twelve Supremes of Terra, had to give the Imperial Guard face.

On the warship, Vulcan silently gazed at his homeland, the planet's outline reflected in his eyes. It was once the cradle of human civilization, but now it had become a center where power and corruption intertwined.

"A thousand years," the Primarch murmured to himself, "nothing has changed, it's even worse."

The Orcs' War Moon destroyed the vast majority of the defensive platforms in Terra orbit, which, in the eyes of the Primarchs, was naturally worse than it had been a thousand years ago.

News of the return of Vulcan Volkan, the great son of the Emperor and Lord of the Dragons, had already spread throughout Terra, and all the High Lords were in the Council Hall to welcome the legendary Primarch.

Most of them were dressed in gorgeous costumes, with badges on their chests that almost weighed down the expensive fabric, and each of them wore a stereotypical smile.

But this demigod walking among humans easily saw through this hypocrisy. What flickered deep in the politicians' eyes was an undisguised unease, fear, and even hostility.

A elaborate and lengthy welcoming ceremony was meticulously prepared, but Vulcan simply waved his hand and declined.

He ignored the stiff smiles of the high lords, and didn't even give them a chance to speak. He led Elpis and Kurland past the high lords and straight into the council hall.

The high lords, left standing there, looked at each other in bewilderment. After leaving behind some photos for publicity purposes, they entered the council hall one by one.

"Great Lord Vulcan, on behalf of the Empire, I welcome your return. Your deeds in defending the Empire's Caudela have begun to spread..." the Minister of the Interior began to speak.

"stop."

The Primarch's deep voice rang out, and with just one word, the entire hall fell silent.

The Lord of Fire Dragons was now dressed in proper clothes, but he still carried a warhammer in his hand. His gaze was fixed on the warhammer, and his fingers gently stroked its shaft.

"I spent a day and a night reflecting on what you have done," the Primarch paused, "and witnessed firsthand how you High Lords rule the human empire."

With each step the Primarch spoke, he took a step forward, and the High Lords almost instinctively shrank back simultaneously.

"But I am not here today to judge your sins," the Primarch said, walking to the long table and placing the Doomsday Tremor on it. The sound of the two colliding made the hearts of several Highlords nearly skip a beat.

Upon hearing this, the high lords all breathed a sigh of relief, and the Minister of the Interior quietly wiped the sweat from his brow.

"The orcs have now threatened the entire empire. I will organize an expeditionary force to attack their homeworld. All departments must cooperate unconditionally. Any delay or obstruction will be considered treason, and the perpetrators will be executed immediately without trial."

The Primarch's words intimidated the Highlords who only knew how to seize more power. They had no choice but to agree to the Primarch's demands and sign the decree.

Having obtained what he needed, Vulcan unhesitatingly grabbed the warhammer from the table and left the hall.

Just as he was about to step out of the council hall, his imposing figure stopped, and the Primarch turned back to glance at the High Lord in his seat:

"You should thank the orcs. If it weren't for the sake of unity, I would have killed you all long ago."

After leaving a message, the Primarch departed the council hall, leaving only the Highlords still arguing over the specific details.

-

In the following weeks, chapters from all corners of the Empire answered the Primarch's call, gathering here without hesitation as long as they could spare the strength.

Just like thousands of years ago, magnificent warships gathered in the skies above Terra.

On the last night of the fleet's assembly, Vulcan stood alone on the observation deck of the highest tower of the palace.

The outlines of warships were clearly visible in Terra orbit; there were nearly two hundred warships, carrying nearly ten thousand Space Marines and countless mortal warriors.

This is one of the largest forces the Empire has assembled for a single campaign since the Great Crusade began.

Elpis silently walked to his side. "Still thinking about the High Lord?"

"I'm wondering," Vulcan's gaze swept over the silhouettes of the warships, "did Father foresee that this system would corrupt to this extent when he built it? Or did he foresee it, but considered it a necessary price to pay?"

"The Emperor believed in the potential of mortals, in that they could create their own future through trials," Elpis said calmly. "Perhaps he knew that some corruption had to be tolerated. Until the right time, someone would come back to clean it up."

"I am not here to purge bureaucrats," Vulcan said firmly. "I am here to save the Empire. But if those bureaucrats stand in the way of the Empire's survival, they will become obstacles that need to be removed."

The next day, the expeditionary fleet was fully prepared to set sail. In the command center of the Unified, the Lord of Fire Dragons sent a brief interstellar message to the entire Empire:

"This is the Primarch, Vulcan Vokhan."

"The Empire is facing an unprecedented threat; the orcs are trying to crush us. And I will once again conquer the orcs' homeworld and drive these defeated foes out of the Empire's borders."

"All warriors loyal to the Emperor, loyal to the Empire of Man, wherever you are, please stand firm at your posts and fulfill your duties."

"Victory will belong to the Empire, glory will belong to the Emperor!"

As the star language ended, at the same moment, in Terra orbit, the engines of all the warships lit up simultaneously, their target pointing directly at the orcs' homeworld, Ulanor.

On the bridge of the Unified, Vulcan and Elpis stood side by side, a huge star map projection unfolding before them.

Countless points of light flickered on the projection, representing a human fleet heading to the battlefield, an expeditionary force personally led by the Primarch.

"All ships, this is Vulcan," the Primarch's voice echoed through the communications channels to every corner of the fleet. "Our objective is singular: Ulanor. We will utterly destroy the Orks and protect all humanity."

"Then today, let the orcs of Ulanor witness true fury."

"Fleet, set sail!"

As the command was given, the fleet, which had already arrived at the designated coordinates, began charging its subspace engines. Subsequently, space was torn apart, and the fleet entered subspace one by one.

On the sacred Terra, all fell silent once more.

But everyone knew that an expedition that would determine the fate of the empire had begun.