Chapter 56: Shifting Battles and Suggestions
Guilliman refrained from hasty judgment, wondering why the company commander would make such a petition to the Emperor.
He asked directly. "What is their reasoning?"
"The letter states that the Alpha Legion pledges absolute loyalty to the Imperium and is willing to prosecute war against the Ork Empire with complete commitment, regardless of casualties," the Emperor replied with measured calm.
Horus sensed that the Alpha Legion had achieved greater strength and felt capable of undertaking even grander objectives.
He spoke bluntly. "Commendable courage."
All present understood the brutal nature of war against the Ork Empire. It was a terrifying alien civilization comparable to the Rangdan civilization itself. Most troubling was the green-skins' horrific asexual reproduction methodology and their utterly illogical technological equipment.
Leman Russ and Guilliman both fell silent in contemplation. Their immediate thought was that the Alpha Legion felt emboldened by growth and wished to lead the assault.
Yet Guilliman envisioned the Alpha Legion establishing a system spanning nearly a hundred worlds, emulating his own methods.
If a hidden leader truly orchestrated the legion's affairs, they should comprehend the Ork Empire's cruelty and therefore understand the reasoning behind such a choice. That reasoning remained opaque, which troubled him.
The Emperor observed the expressions and demeanor of the three Primarchs, yet his prescience led him clearly to the Calicus Sector, and just beyond lay the Eye of Terror.
A canker. A wound that festered with every passing year.
The Alpha Legion had already received intelligence regarding their encounter with daemon forces in the Warp within the Calicus Sector. Upon careful deliberation, the legion determined they did not wish to advance toward the Eye of Terror.
With clear reasoning and penetrating judgment, the Emperor could not help but admire Alpharex's growth and strategic acumen. His son was learning to retreat before the trap closed. That was wisdom.
The Eye of Terror was indeed profoundly evil. He had initially planned to transfer the Alpha Legion to alternative theaters once the Calicus Sector campaign concluded.
Simultaneously, he felt gratified that his son possessed such clear judgment.
The Emperor gestured toward the Custodians beside him and issued a commanding order.
"Relay this directive: upon completion of the Calicus Sector campaign, the entire Alpha Legion shall be transferred to the Veredian System to wage war against the Ork Empire."
"I am proud of their courage."
"Yes, my lord!" The Custodian nodded solemnly and departed to relay the order through the Star Speaker network.
The three Primarchs were somewhat startled by the Emperor's decisive pronouncement.
They found it difficult to credit that a mere company commander would petition the Emperor for deployment against the Ork Empire.
Of the three Primarchs present, Robert Guilliman possessed some understanding of the Alpha Legion and the Alpha Sector. Their growth had demonstrated to the Emperor and his brothers that the Ultramarines' administrative model served as a worthy precedent.
Guilliman appreciated this unintended acknowledgment.
As commander of the Thirteenth Legion, overseeing an entire star system, he deeply understood the critical importance of logistical strength in warfare.
Horus, in his contemplation, considered the position of Warmaster.
During the Battle of Randan, Lion El'Jonson of the Dark Angels had consistently remained at the forefront, eclipsing Horus's own considerable talents.
Though the Dark Angels had suffered grievous losses and had not recovered their peak strength in many years, Horus still harbored some regret at not emerging as the most resplendent warrior.
As the Emperor's most beloved son, he should stand foremost in every significant engagement.
Horus assessed the Alpha Legion's current military strength as unimpressive. Guilliman commanded five hundred worlds while Alpha possessed perhaps one hundred.
His own legion's strength rivaled the Ultramarines, and with assistance from many Primarch brothers, Horus felt confident he could outmatch Guilliman, Perturabo, Lion El'Jonson, and Sanguinius.
Yet now the Alpha Legion once again took the forefront in the campaign against the Orks, repeating the Dark Angels' prominence during the Battle of Randan.
Even if Horus subsequently joins the Ork campaign and achieves perfect victory, it would somewhat diminish his chances of attaining the Warmaster position. The stage kept shifting away from him.
Leman Russ harbored no particular ambitions and simply awaited the Emperor's orders to advance.
In good spirits, Guilliman remarked, "Your Majesty, though each legion's expedition progress varies considerably, according to recently compiled data, the Thousand Sons Legion and the Word Bearers progress most slowly among all eighteen legions."
"The Thousand Sons' limited numbers adequately explain their slower pace, yet the Word Bearers command Space Marine forces numbering in the hundreds of thousands, second only to the Ultramarines among all legions."
"Perhaps it would be prudent to urge Lorgar to contribute more substantially to the Great Crusade."
Upon finishing, both Leman Russ and Horus fixed Guilliman with intense scrutiny, each thinking to themselves that this individual truly was industrious and could not tolerate seeing others idle.
Though Horus recognized the truth upon reviewing the data, he would not openly disparage Lorgar. Better to let someone else be the anvil on which the Emperor's frustration fell.
Most Primarchs knew of the City of Monarchia on the world of Khur, and decades had elapsed since its construction. Lorgar had dwelt within that city, pursuing his religious studies, removed from war, from command, from the messy business of conquest.
Both Lorgar and Magnus of the Thousand Sons Legion possessed scholarly inclinations and pursued forbidden knowledge.
Over the years, neither had truly acted like warriors. The Emperor had built them for war, and they had chosen religious books instead.
The Emperor spoke with solemn gravity, his frustration bleeding through each measured word.
"I have stated this countless times across the years, I am not a god. Why can't Lorgar understand such simple words? His duty is to lead his legions into the Great Crusade, not to study some scripture!"
"Leman Russ, journey to warn Lorgar once more: warfare is not accomplished through slow processes of verbal persuasion, but through warships and cannons!"
Wolf King Leman Russ felt somewhat helpless regarding this matter and spoke with blunt candor.
"I have traveled to Khur many times across the past thirty years, yet I suspect this journey shall prove equally pointless. Compared to warfare, Lorgar prefers promoting his faith, which he calls the Lectitio Divinitatus, the Book of the Holy Word. He possesses genuine genius regarding missionary endeavors!"
"I have told you I am not a god. Go again!" The Emperor commanded sternly, his head throbbing with discomfort upon hearing the sacred terminology.
Each time Lorgar elevated him, it was a rebellion disguised as worship.
Leman Russ nodded. Let matters proceed. At a minimum, they would not attack the Brotherhood. Though he styled himself the Emperor's executioner, he harbored some reluctance to visit Khur.
Aboard the Emperor's flagship, Guilliman and Horus once again worked in concert with the Emperor to process the vast volume of military intelligence, a rare privilege to spend time with him and talk directly.
They did not discuss the Alpha Legion further, but both understood: something had shifted. Some player was moving pieces on the board with strategic clarity.
On the distant world of Holy Terra, countless towering buildings blazed with illumination. Within a massive fortress housing the Astronautical Army headquarters and the central government machinery, soldiers and administrative personnel bustled with activity.
The uppermost floor contained the office of the Star Guard Marshal.
At this moment, an Astral Army general, dressed in the uniform of the Imperium's highest-ranking marshal, stood before, an elderly but robust man with white hair and beard. Though advanced in years, his dignified bearing commanded immediate respect.
Marshal Perron had spent decades commanding space forces and approached retirement. Unwilling to depart service, he had returned to Holy Terra to oversee Astronautical Army military affairs, determined to dedicate his remaining years to the cause.
Perron sat upright in his chair, regarding the armored Company Commander Skol, standing rigidly before him across his desk.
Company Commander Skol remained motionless for a brief interval.
Then a communication signal arrived, and his expression brightened considerably. He looked up at Perron, evidently surprised, and spoke.
"As befits a former Marshal of the Astral Army, you have actually persuaded the Emperor to alter the deployment of an entire Astartes Legion!"
"To correct you, my current rank remains Marshal," Perron replied calmly.
"Why did the Emperor adopt your counsel? Was it because of your extensive experience deploying numerous Astral Army fleets?"
Marshal Perron, rarely receiving such attention from superhuman Space Marines, smiled slightly and began explaining with precise clarity and logical progression.
The Emperor commanded reverence as a god throughout the Imperium, particularly from Astartes, who remained absolutely loyal and dared not harbor the slightest dissent. This was by design, divinity as absolute authority.
Yet Perron maintained the conviction that the Emperor remained fundamentally human and would adhere to basic military deployment principles. Therefore, his suggestions would be widely adopted if grounded in strategy rather than a plea.
Field Marshal Perron explained, "The Alpha Legion has achieved significant strength growth across the past thirty years, conquering three star sectors."
"Your legion's military capacity ranks among the highest of all expeditionary fleets, positioning it as upper-tier strength within the Astartes Legion hierarchy."
"Your demonstrated fighting strength means the Emperor would not consider reassigning you to easily conquered sectors. Presently, the Ork Empire represents the Imperium's most formidable adversary."
"You rarely seek my counsel, yet the Ork Empire's terror might cause your legion to sustain heavy losses across the coming decades. If I commanded such formidable troops, I would willingly lead my legion in offering utmost loyalty to the Emperor!"
[End of Chapter]
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