Chapter 323 — Home Under Siege
Gaius was about to ask about Varrak Prime.
It had been months since he had left. Surely, by now, things had changed.
But before he could say anything, his eyes moved across the group.
Their armor was scarred.
Deep gouges ran across ceramite plates. Several weapons and pieces of equipment had clearly been repaired more than once. Even the Dreadnoughts bore fresh battle damage.
Then Gaius noticed one of the Sisters of Silence.
Her arm was wrapped tightly in bandages.
His expression immediately changed.
Something had happened.
Something serious.
Gaius felt a sudden weight settle in his chest.
He looked toward Titus.
"Titus."
Titus immediately turned toward him.
"What happened?"
Titus rushed toward Gaius, his usually composed expression replaced by urgency.
"Captain Gaius."
He stopped in front of him.
"Varrak Prime are under attack."
Gaius's eyes narrowed.
"By whom?"
Titus said grimly.
"Chaos and the Heretic World Eaters."
Gaius's expression hardened.
The moment he heard those words, his Conqueror's Haki leaked out.
The ground beneath his feet creaked.
The holograms flickered violently, their images distorting under the sudden pressure.
Tony and Halsey instinctively took a step back.
Even those who had never experienced it before could feel something overwhelming in the air.
Gaius noticed none of it.
He wasn't releasing his Haki deliberately.
He wasn't targeting anyone.
It was simply his anger spilling out.
They attacked while I was gone.
The thought alone made his blood boil.
Gaius looked at Titus.
"How long has this been happening?"
Titus paused before answering.
"The moment you left."
Gaius's eyes narrowed.
Titus continued.
"At first, it was only isolated incidents. Cults began appearing across Varrak Prime."
His expression darkened.
"We thought we had already dealt with them. We had been clearing them by your order. We thought we had rooted them out before they could become a serious threat."
He clenched his fist.
"But the moment you left..."
Titus shook his head.
"They began appearing again."
Gaius remained silent.
"And then it escalated."
Titus's voice became grim.
"They began summoning daemons."
A brief silence followed.
"Daemons of Khorne."
Gaius's eyes hardened further.
Titus looked directly at him.
"And that's when we realized this wasn't simply a cult uprising."
"It was an invasion."
Titus continued his report.
"We have been fighting them off ever since."
He glanced briefly toward the others before continuing.
"Thankfully, we had already concentrated most of the population in the core locations rather than leaving them scattered across the planet. That decision saved countless lives."
His expression remained grim.
"We have lost approximately twenty percent of the population."
Gaius's eyes sharpened at the number, but Titus continued.
"We also established defensive positions around the areas where the daemons were being summoned. Every time they attempted to establish a foothold, we were there to meet them."
He looked down at the scars across his armor.
"We have not lost a single brother."
A brief pause.
"But many have been wounded."
Gaius looked across the group again.
Now he understood the scars.
The damaged armor.
The bandages.
All of it.
They had been fighting without him.
For months.
Gaius stepped forward and placed a hand on Titus's pauldron.
Even without his armor, Gaius still towered over the Primaris Ultramarine before him. The difference in their physiques was impossible to miss.
Yet there was no arrogance in Gaius's expression.
Only pride.
"You did a good job."
Titus looked up at him.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he gave a solemn nod.
"We did what we could, Captain."
Gaius's hand remained on his shoulder.
"No."
His voice was quiet.
"You did more than that."
Gaius looked around.
Everyone was watching him.
Tony, especially, looked concerned.
He understood why.
Varrak Prime was Gaius's world. His people.
Hearing that a fifth of its population had already been lost was troubling enough.
Gaius remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"It seems that after this campaign, I will return to my universe."
His gaze hardened.
After all, the world under his protection were now facing their own war. Chaos and heretics had begun attacking Varrak Prime, and he could no longer afford to remain away indefinitely.
But there was still one battle in front of him.
First, he would finish this battle.
Then, he would go home.
Tony's expression shifted slightly.
After defeating the incoming Covenant fleet, Gaius would finally return home.
There were still matters waiting for him there.
His own universe had not stopped moving simply because he had left it.
Gaius looked back toward his warriors.
"But before that..."
He paused.
"I will need you to assist me one more time."
His gaze hardened.
"After that, we will return."
The Ultramarines immediately straightened.
One by one, they placed a fist against their chest in the traditional gesture of their Chapter.
"By your Command!"
The cry echoed through the chamber.
Even the Dreadnought seemed to share their enthusiasm.
His mechanical voice rumbled with amusement.
"Of course, my dear Captain Gaius."
A faint smile appeared on Gaius's face.
Then his eyes shifted toward the Sister of Silence.
"But you."
She immediately stiffened.
"You will not be needed."
Her body language changed instantly.
Her hands moved rapidly.
Gaius watched her hands for a moment, understanding the message.
She was protesting.
She could still fight.
She could still contribute.
She didn't need to sit out.
Gaius shook his head.
"No."
Her hands moved again, more insistently.
Gaius sighed.
"I said no."
He stepped closer.
"I want you to rest."
His eyes briefly fell upon the bandages wrapped around her arm.
"And heal."
The Sister of Silence went still.
Gaius's tone softened.
"You have already done enough."
For a moment, she simply stared at him.
Then, reluctantly, her hands lowered.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Parangosky was the first to break the silence.
She looked toward Gaius, then toward the wounded Sister of Silence.
"We'll leave you to prepare."
There was no demand for further explanation.
No questions about Varrak Prime.
No attempt to pull more information from Titus.
They could see enough for themselves.
Osman gave a small nod.
"We'll speak again after the battle."
Gaius met her gaze.
"Understood."
Parangosky looked toward the Ultramarines one final time.
Then back to Gaius.
"Good luck."
Gaius gave a single nod.
The holograms disappeared.
Gaius turned toward Tony and Halsey.
"When is the next starship coming out?"
Tony thought for a moment.
"An hour and a half."
Gaius nodded.
"Have it modified."
Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Modified?"
"I want a section of it adapted to function as a launch point for us—a dedicated pod system integrated into the ship."
Tony understood immediately.
He nodded.
"I'll have it modified."
He glanced toward Gaius.
"And don't worry. It won't take any longer than scheduled."
Gaius nodded.
"Good."
Then Gaius looked at his men.
"I'll prepare a place for all of you to get ready. I'll also send you all the information you need to know about the upcoming enemy and how we will fight them."
The Ultramarines listened attentively.
Titus gave a firm nod.
"Understood, Captain."
~~~
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