Warhammer 40k: Melee Warriors

The second is the Tribunal. They know that once they find out about the Far Eye Fortress, they'll say something like, "This ancient creation is beyond your understanding; it's best to leave it to us professionals." Once you believe them, they'll start fabricating evidence that you committed suicide by being hit by thirty explosive shells in the back.

To avoid this problem, Koken could only collect the Soul Path Beacon instead of mass-producing it to arm the entire army.

But without beacons, there is no path to the soul.

Without the Soul Path, there is no ultra-long-range air strike.

If there's no ultra-long-range air strike, what's the point of having the Eye of Far East Fortress? Am I just going to collect things like Talazin?

This is clearly throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

However, Komi is not entirely without a way to deal with the unfriendly gazes that these two forces are bound to cast. The simplest and most effective way is to build his own forces into a behemoth that neither the Cult of the Machines nor the Inquisition can look down on!

If you're tough enough and fierce enough, you can rely on your superior military strength to refuse the unreasonable demands of the Mechanicus and the Inquisition, pay your taxes on the side, and even get a few good words for you from the Terra Highlords Council.

Not to mention that he now has a good relationship with the Dark Angels, and Azrael's gaze towards him is almost drooling. If he can send those guys from the Ever Victorious Army back to Macragge, Komi might even get some support from the Ultramarines.

After I defeat Abaddon, I will be the savior of the Gothic Sector! A great saint! Then, I can do whatever I want, and who will dare to say no?

Komi became more and more excited as he thought about it. Although he tried his best to turn his mouth down, the change in his eyebrows still made his face exude an undisguised sense of smugness.

The Punisher then traversed the void surrounding the Eye of the Faraway Fortress through the open rift in the Ark, embarking on its journey back to Oberyn. Komi hadn't forgotten his promise to Griffin. He had wiped out so many Eldar pirates, ensuring the safety of the logistics supply lines, which were like public toilets. He believed that such achievements would give Griffin an advantage in the struggle for the chieftainship, allowing him to fulfill his promise. Incidentally, Komi also wanted to find out about Abaddon's offensive during his absence.

Upon escaping the subspace rift, the Punisher was spotted by the void stations as soon as it entered the edge of the Aubertin system. They identified the markings on the Punisher and confirmed that it was the vehicle of Otto, the Void Hunter, who had hunted down countless troublesome pirates.

The next moment, their communications, filled with different emotions, flooded the Punisher. Some were obsequious, some were worshipful, and some couldn't believe they had witnessed a living legend.

The warship docked at the port, and Komi landed on the ground in a shuttle, where he met Griffin, who had come to greet him personally.

Dressed in military uniform, he was radiant and clearly had reaped considerable benefits from his collaboration with Komi.

"You traveled for a long time this time, did everything go smoothly?"

Griffin approached them to offer his concern and care, unaware that Koken had been exploring the Eye of the Distant Fortress during this period.

Koken replied, "Some pirates are exceptionally cunning and swift; it took me some time to hunt them down. So, what's the situation now? Tell me in detail about your family and the battle in the Gothic Sector."

I've been busy until now and just got home. I'll write this after having a quick meal.

After a weekend of rest, Monday was packed with demanding tasks, and I really couldn't keep up.

Chapter 511: A Traitor Among Us

Griffin then gave Komi a proper explanation of the current situation.

Rothschild, the patriarch of the Rothschild family, had not yet recovered from his illness. His occasional bouts of madness made it impossible for him to lead this large family. As Abaddon's military might grew stronger, the struggle for the position of patriarch intensified.

At this point, Griffin sighed, clearly believing that the internal strife within the Child family had consumed too much energy and resources. It should be noted that those family members were not alone; those capable of vying for the position of patriarch each had one or more planets or void stations supporting them.

The fierce competition has further narrowed down the number of candidates for patriarch. Currently, the following members of the Child family are considered the most likely to win the position.

Imaran the Devout is a pure and devout fanatic with the support of the state religion and the worship of hundreds of millions of believers. He has repeatedly criticized Komi's merciful policies towards Ajin.

Fritz, the patriarch's daughter, has spent many years by the side of Patriarch Rothschild, learning many of his methods of governing the family. She is expected to inherit Auberdine, the family capital, as her own territory. Therefore, although she has no outstanding achievements, she has been able to gather a large group of loyal supporters around her. When Rothschild is incoherent, Fritz will temporarily take charge of the family as acting patriarch, although this position is not accepted by many people.

Harald, a merchant and also the boss of the slave trader Hudes, is a wandering merchant who not only values ​​strength but also needs an eye for wealth and a shrewd mind for speculation. Among all the family members, Harald is the only one whose business talent is unmatched. He can build up several legions by using throne coins and other equivalents.

Rear Admiral Griffin, who was trained by Admiral Luvansberg and gained his appreciation in battle, commands the strongest void fleet in his family.

Komi nodded, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "I heard a name from Griffith before, Harland the Ironforger, did he drop out of the race?"

“Harland?” Griffin’s face darkened at the name, as if he considered it a disgrace to the family. After a long silence, he gritted his teeth and said, “He betrayed us.”

"He betrayed us? When did this happen? Why did he betray us?"

Under Komi's bewildered gaze, Griffin shook his head painfully. "We don't know the specific reasons for Harland's betrayal. We only know that the world he controlled lost contact two months ago. We sent people to investigate, but all we received was a heretical song released from the spire where Harland lived. Those who heard it went mad on the spot and attacked everyone around them. We can't speculate on what kind of evil happened in his spire."

"If he really betrays us, that's not good news. I remember the world he controls produces a lot of minerals and industrial products, right? If Abaddon's army gets hold of these, our war will be much more difficult."

"Yes...that's why Admiral Luvansberg ordered us to launch an attack on Ironworker Harland, to take it back, or even raze it to the ground, before the enemy could fully convert the factory's production capacity."

"And this also proves that your family is still loyal, right?" Komi said with a raised eyebrow in a joking tone. When it comes to the biggest traitor, his name has to be at the top of the list.

Griffin couldn't discern these differences and assumed that Komi's changed tone stemmed from doubts about his own purity due to Harland's situation.

Although Imran described Komi's actions in a prayer devoid of profanity as only slightly better than excommunication, in Griffin's eyes, Komi was an imperial saint who could earn his respect through his own merits.

He placed his hand on the golden eagle emblem on his chest and swore to Komi that he would prove his loyalty to the throne with his life.

Koji waved his hand, unwilling to dwell on the issue for too long. Loyalty is never something that can be said with words. Look at him, he talks about being loyal all day long, but in private he does nothing but fleece both Chaos and the Empire.

Komi asked, "So now that there are only four candidates, the struggle within the Childe family should be over soon, right?"

"Uh...it should take some time. According to our family law, the new patriarch must be recognized by the previous patriarch and the ancient trade license."

"Are you sure the former patriarch was mentally capable of doing this job? Don't tell me your family law doesn't have any provisions for dealing with this kind of emergency."

“Yes, of course there is, but that clause…” Griffin hesitated for a moment before revealing a chilling truth to Komi, “Our ancestors seemed to favor the idea that difficult times forge strong individuals. They said: If a family head cannot be elected normally, then let's have a war! The last survivor will become the family head. Normally, we would gladly comply, but now, with Abaddon's Black Legion watching from the outside, starting a civil war at this time…”

The situation in the Gothic Sector is even more difficult to resolve.

Koji mentally finished the rest of the sentence for Griffin. He rolled his eyes at Griffin. If it weren't for the fact that it was extremely rude for a son to scold his father, he would have liked to complain about the rigidity and inflexibility of their family's laws.

"So what are you going to do now? I've basically wiped out the pirates. If you want me to stand up and give a speech to garner votes for you, I'll just give you a bomb right now."

Griffin smiled, telling Komi to calm down. As a naval rear admiral who had witnessed war and death, he was also quite disgusted with some of the political games prevalent in the civilized world. "Saint Otto, the victory you achieved in the rear is far more valuable than the supplies sent to the front lines. Thanks to the brilliance you displayed in battle, I was able to propose a suggestion to the family core meeting initiated by the acting patriarch: the next family patriarch must use his contribution to defeating the enemy of humanity as a political asset. In a life-or-death situation, only blood and fire deserve to be discussed."

Komi nodded. "So, you mean the family patriarch will be chosen after the expedition against the traitor Harland?"

“It should be chosen after defeating the despicable Abaddon,” Griffin corrected Komi’s statement, then shrugged. “But I think eliminating Harland would also give me more say. Even if I don’t become the patriarch, the prestige I gain from the victory will allow me to exercise the patriarch’s power.”

"I hope so. So where has Abaddon advanced to? I've noticed that Auberdine's defenses are much tighter."

Chapter 512: Half? That won't do, I want it all.

Griffin beckoned to Komi to come closer and then lowered his voice, saying, "Colonel Luvansberg has led most of the fleet to defend a frontline logistics base. If he loses the battle, Abaddon's fleet can get here in just six short-distance subspace jumps."

"They've already started fighting? Do you think he can win?"

"You'd have to ask the dark angels who gave him so much confidence. They seem to have a very powerful machine that can locate enemy warships from a great distance, far more efficient than ordinary oracle birds."

"Did Captain Naspel go along too?"

“Huh?” Griffith didn’t understand why Komi brought up this name. According to the rules, he should have mentioned Rear Admiral Tius, Captain Spyr’s direct superior, first. But he still nodded and replied, “If you are referring to Captain Spyr of the Dreadnought-class light cruiser, then he went there as well after receiving the orders.”

Upon hearing this, Koji felt reassured. Azrael and the others must have taken the spirit bird divination device he had made for them to support the front lines. With the device's location scanning and Spire's overpowered abilities as a backup, holding a logistics base shouldn't be a problem.

Komi stood up from his chair, straightened his clothes, and prepared to leave Griffin's room. "Then you go and deal with that traitor Harland. I'm going to the front lines."

Koken's urgency stemmed from his desire to test the performance of Soul Path Air Strike in actual warfare; however, the test results were not indicative of anything.

At this moment, Griffin said urgently, "Wait a moment, Saint Otto. I need your help to eliminate the traitor Harland. The military forces that Oberyn has gathered are insufficient after being drawn away, and we cannot guarantee that we can quickly conquer the world of the traitor Harland."

"I only have one escort ship. If all the people inside were thrown into the battlefield, they wouldn't even make a splash. You'd better figure it out yourself." Koji walked forward without turning his head. When he put his hand on the door, Griffin quickly stood beside him, staring at him with a pair of sincere big eyes.

“Sage, although you only have one escort ship, your achievements far exceed what this ship can do. I believe that with your support, Harland’s betrayal will be quelled within months, or even weeks.”

"I believe that the four of you candidates working together can achieve the same result. No need to say more, my mind is made up."

Seeing that Gu Jian remained unmoved, Griffin swallowed hard. In desperation, he prepared to offer some more practical benefits: "If you can quickly suppress Harland's rebellion, I'm willing to propose giving you half of the governance of his world."

Half control?

Upon hearing this, Koken was somewhat tempted. The world controlled by Harland was only slightly less productive than the casting world controlled by the Mechanicus. Gaining half control of this world would certainly alleviate his equipment shortage problem. He had acquired a lot of resources on his way to eliminate pirates, but the conversion rate was so low that it was a headache. The production capacity of the Punisher and the Port of Nowhere was still too naive when faced with the industrial zones laid out on the surface of the mining planet.

Moreover, it's not a bad idea to attack the rebels who are weak first. Soldiers need to accumulate experience to use the Soul Beacon, and it would be too much pressure to fight the Black Legion's madmen right away.

However, considering the gene experiments and promotion of new equipment that he was going to conduct, it would be quite troublesome to only be able to control half of the world. If only he could trick Griffin into handing over full control of the world to him.

It depends on how anxious he is. If he can give it to me, we can discuss it. If he can't, then I'll turn around and head to the front line.

Koji shook his head, his helplessness half genuine and half feigned, and said to Griffin, "I've been busy in the rear for too long. It's time to go to the front lines instead of staying here to continue playing your game of human politics. Harland is a traitor to your family. Shouldn't he be executed? I'm an outsider, so I won't interfere."

As soon as he said that, Griffin was stunned. Komi also pushed open the door and walked steadily down the corridor, seemingly without any hesitation about his suggestion.

Hurry up and tell me, or I'm really leaving!

Urged on by his own mind, Gu Jian took ten steps out, wondering if he should turn back and take control of the other half first.

Reaching the end, just two steps to the corner, Komi abandoned his fantasy of controlling an entire prosperous industrial world. As he composed himself and prepared to charge to the front lines, Griffin sighed deeply and said to Komi's retreating figure, "I know this might seem like playing word games, but if I were to hand over control of the entire world to you, Saint, wouldn't it be fair to say that you can also be considered a member of our family?"

"The whole world?"

Griffin was startled by Komi's sudden appearance beside him, and stammered, "Why did you suddenly rush over? I thought..."

"Haha, I was testing you." Gu Jian smiled and gently patted his shoulder. "I wanted to see if you could think of the problems I was worried about. Now it seems you really are insightful."

What are your concerns? What are you worried about? Are you worried that you haven't received enough benefits? Griffin thought to himself, increasingly feeling that this saint, Komi, was very mercenary and greedy, a trait that was nowhere to be seen in the devout Imran.

Komi ignored the emotions in his eyes and explained without batting an eye, "A world ravaged by traitors often leaves behind many traces of corruption. These things are buried very deep. If I only have control over half of the land, how can I search for and understand the traces of corruption on the other half?"

“Oh...that’s what you’re worried about…” Griffin went along with Komi. He couldn’t know what Komi was thinking, nor could he directly accuse him of putting on an act.

Then Komi and Griffin reached an agreement: Komi would help Griffin and his team eliminate the traitors, and in return, Griffin would have to hand over control of the world to Komi.

There were only a few days between the signing of the agreement and the completion of the army's assembly. Komi soon saw the attack fleet assembled by the four family candidates and understood what Griffin meant by insufficient military strength.

Griffin brought the fewest ships, one cruiser and three escorts, carrying a total of 50,000 Astral Army and family private soldiers. Although the number was small, the quality was quite high. The Astral Army he recruited consisted mostly of armored and artillery regiments, not just infantry regiments that were given a few laser rifles. The family private soldiers were also well-equipped, and his ships even had several battle-hardened knight mechs.

Chapter 513: Allies with Their Own Flaws

The devout Imran brought nearly a hundred ships, but most of these ships were hastily converted from long-distance trade vessels, and some of them were even old-fashioned pilgrimage ships that did not even have the ability to travel in subspace.

The ships capable of long voyages were also quite weak in combat. Their void shields were so thin that they could only withstand one attack. The entire ship relied on two cannons, one in front and one behind, for protection. The bulky hulls were filled with poorly equipped fanatical militia.

When war breaks out, these ships will explode one after another under enemy fire. Even if the soldiers inside the ships are lucky enough to land on the ground, their equipment will not be enough to shake the enemy's defenses.

Aside from being able to deplete the army's supplies even faster and fill trenches with corpses, Komi really couldn't think of any other value that Imaran's legions could have.

Fortunately, Imaran's flagship was not rudimentary. The ancient warship, belonging to the state church, was adorned with statues of saints from past dynasties. Its interior was filled with holy candles and incense, and it also housed a crusadership and a unit of fighting nuns sent by the state church to follow Imaran.

Harald the trader brought a rather mixed force. He used his wealth to pave his way, gathering mercenaries, hive scum, and even void pirates from all over the world under his command. His only advantage was that he brought twice as many ships as Imaran.

From a distance, his fleet looked as chaotic and noisy as a horde of orcs, a mixture of imperial standard paint and rusty red from years of neglect.

Lacking both professional expertise and fervent faith, Koji doubted whether these people could guarantee they wouldn't become traitors themselves before eliminating the traitors.

Finally, the fleet of the patriarch's daughter, Frith, arrived. Judging from the quality of the warships, their strength was not much different from that of Griffin's fleet. However, according to Griffin, those warships were full of good sons of the Child family, who were the family's personal guards protecting Oberthine. With preferential treatment from the family's resources, they were even better equipped than the old Astral Legion that Griffin had recruited.

But Komi felt that the only encouraging thing about them was the data written on paper. Having been stationed in such a peaceful place as Auberdine for many years, these family guards had no real combat experience whatsoever.