Chapter 55: Clash of Civilizations
Skol remained silent at the periphery, tacitly agreeing with Rex's assessment. After all, the holy sword had withstood a single blow from the Primarch without fracturing. At the time, he had been entirely certain of its authenticity until Omega's blade severed it.
"Hehe, because I approach problems differently than you do, which leads to divergent conclusions."
Rex started, asking with evident anticipation.
"What method would you employ? Please tell me, my lord! I desperately require an answer to this question."
Skol thought Rex was being a bit too presumptuous. How could the Primarch's secrets be so easily inquired by subordinates? Suppressing his curiosity, he could not help but observe Omega.
Omega smiled and spoke. "It is not complicated, actually. Lota Bone is an alien world possessing both ancient dynastic and sacrificial systems. Their technology is sufficiently advanced that even their city walls are constructed of stone, while their valleys and plains consist merely of wide dirt roads; not a single proper highway exists."
"Upon arriving at the temple, I observed incredibly beautiful marble flooring and white marble construction. From this, I concluded that the planet's ancient civilization was profoundly backward."
"Such a backward alien civilization could not possibly forge a holy sword capable of withstanding my power sword's strike. It must be counterfeit."
"When my power sword clashed with the holy sword, it was a confrontation between human Imperial civilization and alien backwardness. The fact that the holy sword did not fracture proves it is not a product of Lota Bone."
"Considering the rampant evil god worship pervading this world, the blade's true purpose must be malevolent. Not protection, but bait."
Skol stared in stunned disbelief at the Primarch, feeling a profound sense of sacred grandeur unfold before him. Rex, having received the answer, knelt before Omega with utmost reverence and spoke solemnly.
"My lord, your wisdom is truly admirable. To serve you represents the greatest honor and happiness of my existence."
"My mentor is correct. Your wisdom surpasses that of the sages. You perceive entire civilizations, while I observe only a holy sword of astonishing quality. I am truly ashamed!"
"In my assessment, you have attained the level of a great sage. You are a true saint!"
"Do not speak carelessly, sage," Omega replied with a smile, surprised by Rex's exuberant praise.
"I am not so great. I simply possess more knowledge than you. And perhaps a different way of seeing threats."
Yet internally, Omega felt a surge of unexpected joy at such genuine recognition, not the praise itself, but the clarity it revealed about how others perceived him.
Rex smiled, though his heart harbored absolute conviction that the Primarch before him truly embodied what he would call a saint.
When Skol heard the word "saint," he realized that the sacred, magnificent presence of the Primarch in his mind was indeed genuine.
He was overjoyed, and he was not alone in this perception, which suggested even the Primarch himself had not fully grasped how sacred he appeared in others' eyes.
Rex and Company Commander Skol exchanged glances, both comprehending each other's thoughts and smiling knowingly.
Yet their admiration for Omega's wisdom deepened further.
Omega, possessing exceptional observational acuity, paid little attention to the two men's expressions. He did not consider himself particularly great or saintly, though he acknowledged genuine growth across the past sixty years.
Growing meant changing. It meant becoming something more than what you were yesterday.
After concluding the discussion of the daemon matter, Omega ordered the fleet to initiate a subspace translation away from the planet, setting course for another star system.
Skol was dispatched rearward to secure a way for the Emperor to reassign the Alpha Legion to a different battlefield.
Throughout the Calicus Sector, scattered fleets gradually converged, their combined combat power overwhelming even the daemon armies arrayed against them on planetary surfaces.
War progressed remarkably smoothly. Omega remained firmly ensconced aboard the twenty-kilometer-long battleship, sitting at the command center without requiring direct intervention. Planetary battlefields did not lack troops, and his presence aboard the flagship sufficed to stabilize morale across the entire fleet.
...
Time passed gradually.
Several months later, in a distant star system, a human Imperial force comprising over one thousand massive warships, each ten kilometers in length, hung in space.
At the vanguard flew a super-massive vessel nearly thirty kilometers in length, magnificent beyond measure. The entire hull was inlaid with gold, bearing an enormous double-headed eagle emblem.
Countless cannons and exquisite mechanical structures indicated the flagship's owner was no ordinary personage.
This battleship served as the Emperor's personal flagship, the ruler of mankind himself, and from here originated the entire strategic deployment of the Great Expedition.
The Emperor oversaw expeditions throughout the entire human empire.
Though countless legions scattered across the stars, all remained absolutely loyal to the Emperor and would execute any assigned task without hesitation or objection.
This was the price of divinity, absolute obedience in return for absolute certainty.
The Emperor watched them constantly. All they could do was repay such oversight with absolute loyalty.
The Emperor and Malcador clearly controlled both military and political affairs across this ever-expanding, vast domain.
The near-divine Emperor possessed a mind and wisdom exceeding even his original genetic template. He maintained ample cognitive and processing capacity to handle countless military reports and strategic assessments.
The mission Omega had assigned to Company Commander Skol was anything but simple. The Emperor possessed extreme rationality. Even though the northern expanse of the Misty Starfield proved dangerous, he would not withdraw the Alpha Legion if he deemed their presence strategically necessary.
Even if the Alpha Legion suffered heavy losses against enemy forces, the Emperor would consider it an acceptable price for eliminating evil. He demanded only that they continue advancing.
When Captain Skol's petition finally reached the Star Speaker aboard the Imperial flagship through various channels, the officer examined it with an expressionless face before delivering the intelligence to the Imperial Guard handling military matters.
Within the wide, luminous bridge, the Emperor, clad in golden armor, discussed military strategy with Guilliman, Horus, and Leman Russ.
Armored Imperial Guards approached bearing intelligence. The Emperor accepted the file and read it carefully. Roboute Guilliman and the others fell silent, awaiting the Emperor's conclusion.
Yet the Emperor remained thoughtful as he absorbed the document's contents.
The Emperor commented with a faintly amused expression.
"The Alpha Legion has grown remarkably strong over these past decades, conquering the Medias Sector, the Korano Sector, and the Calicus Sector in merely thirty years!"
The three Primarchs present showed slight surprise upon hearing this. Guilliman expressed pleasure that his brother legion had achieved such strength.
Horus spoke up at the opportune moment. "Intelligence indicates the Alpha Legion spent fifty years constructing a production and manufacturing system encompassing eighty planets, establishing a forge world center. That region is now designated the Alpha Sector."
Leman Russ, clad in power armor and a wolf-skin cloak, added with hearty laughter.
"That sector develops admirably. Over eighty planets possess starports and active trade routes with merchants and travelers. Most remarkably, these worlds have experienced no rebellions in decades. It bears a striking resemblance to Guilliman's administrative methods."
Leman Russ, clad in power armor and a wolf-skin cloak, added with hearty laughter.
"Koraz conducted reconnaissance on the Alpha Sector. Those planets operate under local human governance; he observed minimal Alpha warrior involvement. However, the Alpha Legion assisted with political systems and stationed Mechanicus personnel."
"These political structures harbor no cult or conspiratorial elements. Some appear to have adapted systems from the Limitless Starfield but implemented modifications. Quite intriguing, truly!"
"Perhaps the Alpha Legion aspires to emulate Guilliman and establish their own Hundred-World system!"
Roboute Guilliman smiled magnanimously and replied.
"Macragge welcomes all brothers to learn from our methods. I am genuinely honored that the Alpha Legion has achieved such remarkable success and strength over the past fifty years."
"By the way, the Alpha Legion's Primarch has yet to return. Who precisely orchestrates such an ambitious plan?"
Leman Russ shook his head slightly with a chuckle.
"The matter is unclear. The Alpharions have always shrouded themselves in mystery. Countless inhabitants throughout the Alpha Sector wish to understand the legion's inner workings, to discern who directs such a massive endeavor, and to meet this figure in person. Yet no one possesses such knowledge."
"People in that sector jokingly refer to it as the Alpha Mystery. Some claim Company Commander Skol leads the legion, though I remain skeptical."
Horus also regarded the assertion with disbelief.
How could a mere company commander possibly command an entire legion and accomplish such a massive feat in fifty years?
Did anyone honestly think managing one hundred worlds was so effortless?
Contemplating this, he could not help but glance toward the Emperor, searching for a reaction, for some tell of what the Emperor already knew.
Observing the three Primarchs regarding him, the Emperor remained silent for a measured moment before speaking with calm authority.
"This correspondence originates from Company Commander Skol. He requests that the Alpha Legion be deployed to conquer the Ork Empire territories. Quite interesting indeed."
"Truly? Is it genuinely Company Commander Skol?" Leman Russ was astonished to discover Skol's petition lay directly before them, its language so grand and far-reaching.
His surprise overwhelmed him, and he burst into laughter, though beneath the amusement lay a flicker of something else. Recognition, perhaps. Or the dawning awareness that mysteries within mysteries sometimes concealed purposes none of them had fully grasped.
[End of Chapter]
_________
Want to read more than 30+ chapters right now!
patreon.com/cw/Mr_UmU
https://www.patreon.com/Mr_UmU