Warhammer: Empire Reboot

There is no real order here.

But there are Huron's rules.

Whoever pays protection money can stop the boat.

Anyone who refuses to pay will have their ship dismantled, their crew sold, and their captain's head hung at the entrance to Star City.

As the Ghost of Destruction approached the main anchorage, Huron sat silently on the bridge throne.

The Red Pirate officers were quieter than usual.

They all knew that this withdrawal was a disgrace.

But no one dared to say it.

The Pirate King can admit the loss himself.

If anyone else brings it up, they're asking for trouble.

The bridge doors opened, and Huron's second-in-command, Valk Bloodhook, walked in.

This name carries significant weight in the vortex.

Valk was a veteran of the remnants of the Astral Claws, fighting alongside Huron through the war in Badab. Later, as the Red Pirates expanded, he was responsible for integrating the pirate crews, traitorous warbands, and dark merchants who had joined them.

Huron's ability to remain atop the Great Maelstrom wasn't solely due to the Destroyer Ghost and his own Iron Claws.

For someone like Valcke, it's about keeping his network of interests in check.

Behind Valcke, a short shadow slid in through the side door of the bridge.

The creature wore a tattered cloak, was hunched over, had excessively long limbs, and a head that resembled a deformed hybrid of some kind of monster and a human infant. Its eyes glowed with a subspace light, and it emitted intermittent low laughter.

Hamad Leya.

Huron's psionic alien servants.

Some people say it's a demon.

Some people say it is a subspace parasite.

Some say it's a curse that Huron retrieved from the depths of the whirlpool.

But all the Red Pirates knew one thing.

When Hamad Leah is staring at someone and smiling, that person had better look down immediately.

It spyes on storms for Huron, sniffs out psionic fluctuations, identifies lies and betrayals, and often acts as a psionic alarm in the heart of the vortex.

It is not the general of the Red Pirates.

But he was more terrifying than many generals.

Valcke knelt on one knee.

"overlord."

Huron's iron claws tapped lightly on the armrest of the throne.

"explain."

Valk looked up and began his report: "The core area of ​​the Great Vortex is stable. The three outer star cities are under lockdown, the seven shipyards have raised their shields, and all treasure anchor points have been transferred and confirmed."

"No Agrippina fleet was found."

"No main force of the Avengers was found."

"No warships of Lawson were detected approaching the outer edge of the vortex."

Huron's gaze hardened.

"No?"

"At least not on the surface."

Valck answered very carefully.

“We inspected the outer smuggling lines, slave markets, three ship graveyards, the Dark Mechanicus mooring area, and Storm Anchorage. There were no signs of large-scale intrusion.”

Hamadleya climbed up the metal railing next to Huron's throne, tilted her head, and let out a shrill laugh.

"There was no fire, no golden light, no black hole, and no big guy."

"The storm remembers his voice, but doesn't smell his feet."

Huron looked at it.

"you sure?"

Hamadley licked her teeth.

"If that person reaches in, the storm will hurt."

"Right now, the storm is just laughing."

The Red Pirate officers on the bridge secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Huron remained silent for a long time before speaking.

"So, he's bluffing me."

Valcke whispered, "Very likely."

Speaking too confidently in front of Huron can easily lead to one's death.

"Dante's fleet was blocked in the shipping lane by you. Lawson did not have time to mobilize his main force, nor did he want the Holy Blood Angels to delay the battlefield. He used full-band radio to threaten the Great Vortex, forcing you to withdraw your troops."

Valcke paused for a moment.

"Judging from the results, he succeeded."

Huron's iron claws tightened suddenly, leaving several deep marks on the throne armrests.

No one spoke in the bridge.

After a long silence, Huron finally let out a cold laugh.

"Yes, he succeeded."

"I'm leaving."

"But my fleet is still here. The whirlpool is still here."

"That's enough."

Huron wasn't scared out of his wits by a single sentence.

He made the most conservative and correct choice when he could not confirm the safety of the whirlpool.

If Lawson was just bluffing, he would lose an opportunity to intercept Dante and some face.

If Lawson really makes a move while he's still out there locked in a stalemate with Dante, the losses will be the Great Maelstrom's shipyard, treasury, slave market, Star City, fleet anchorage, and the very foundation of his position as Pirate King.

Valcke understood this as well.

“My lord, although Lawson’s threat is like a smokescreen, his methods are different from those of traditional empires.”

Huron looked at him.

"So, you think his eyes are also in my vortex?"

Valcke did not deny it.

"I believe we must proceed according to this assumption."

Hamad Leya giggled.

"Eyes, so many eyes. The eyes of rats, the eyes of slaves, the eyes of iron men. There is never a shortage of eyes in the whirlpool."

Huron's gaze grew even colder.

"Then gouge out your eyes."

He stood up.

All the Red Pirates knew that the Pirate King was about to start killing people.

Huron ordered: "Starting today, seal off the core area of ​​the Great Maelstrom for thirty standard days."

"All small pirate groups are to be re-registered."

“All new faces who have entered the vortex within the last three months will be screened.”

"Kill anyone without a guarantor."

“Kill anyone whose guarantor cannot explain their background.”

"All dark guilds, slave traders, smuggling brokers, and mercenary fleets, pay the anchorage tax and swear blood oaths again."

"Anyone who dares to complain will be hung outside Star City to be fed by the storm."

Valcke lowered his head.

"As ordered."

Huron continued, "Focus on investigating those inconspicuous small groups."

"A few dilapidated frigates, a few cargo ships, a few merchants who claimed to have escaped from the dark side of the empire, and a few traitors who suddenly wanted to join the Red Pirates."

“If Lawson’s men come in, they won’t be flying the Avengers’ flag.”

He looked at Hamad Leya.

"Go and monitor the psionic fluctuations."

Hamadleya leaned against the railing, her eyes narrowed into slits.

I will listen to the whispers beneath the storm.

Huron said, "Tell me if you hear anything unfamiliar."

Hamadleya let out a cheerful shrill laugh.

"besides."

"Send two squads to the outskirts of the Agrippina sector."

The atmosphere on the bridge became tense.