Emrys could guess Lyon's intention, but what puzzled him was why he would do this. Had he forgotten the original 'Luther'?
By indulging Luther's decentralization of power, which ultimately led to the split of the Dark Angels, Lyon should have been very clear about the consequences of doing so. Yet, this Primarch still did it—this left Emrys completely bewildered.
But as things stood, as the fleet's highest Commander, Emrys could only take things one step at a time.
In the real world, how many clairvoyants are there?
The more complex the plan, the more likely it is to go wrong. Similarly, many seemingly grand schemes were, in fact, merely the schemer's correct responses to the changes in each step of the game at the very beginning.
Emrys was no different.
Since he was already deep in this game, he could only go with the flow and adapt to changes by remaining unchanged.
Soon, the fleet used its communication array to directly contact General Hal Kusman, the Planetary Lord of the hive city on Avacalon.
In some Hive Cities, Planetary Lord and Planetary General are two separate positions, but in some, the Planetary Lord often doubles as the Planetary General. Lord Hal was clearly such a Planetary Lord, strong-willed and combining administrative, judicial, and military authority.
In the holographic image, General Hal wore magnificent noble attire with a dueling sword at her waist. Although she was a woman, she possessed a heroic spirit that even men lacked. A gruesome scar running across her brow bone and lip further demonstrated that this Planetary Lord was by no means an ordinary person.
"We have confirmed your identity verification information, esteemed Viscount Merlin Emrys. According to what we know, your fleet should have entered the Dark Zone long ago. Why are you suddenly appearing here?"
From the outset, Hal accurately grasped the most crucial point and raised her doubts.
News of Emrys' fleet's voyage was no secret within the Imperium, and besides, this was already the Dark Side. Despite the influence of the Warp storm, the news of the Emrys family restarting the route was still a bombshell within the Imperium!
Moreover, the name Merlin Emrys had, in just a year and a half, become a well-known 'hero' among nobles throughout the Imperium, thanks to the Ministry of the Interior's propaganda.
Saving Roselle, repelling the black Crusade of Vigilus, assisting the Dante, the Lord of Angels on Baal against the Tyranids invasion, and aiding the Imperial Navy on the frontier in reclaiming authority over Roaming Port—each of these was an earth-shattering event!
But now, why would such a prominent and popular noble within the Imperium appear here?
"Governor Hal, the information you received is indeed correct. Not long ago, my fleet was still exploring the Dark Zone," Emrys explained calmly. "But due to a Warp storm, my fleet became separated from the family fleet, which is why I appeared on this world."
This explanation was reasonable, but Hal frowned. It wasn't that she didn't believe him, but the timing of this fleet's appearance was simply too 'coincidental,' making it hard for her not to be suspicious.
Seeing her silence, Emrys continued, "Esteemed governor Hal, due to the Warp storm, our fleet has sustained some damage. May we be allowed to enter the hive city's starport for rest and repairs?"
However, after a few seconds of silence, governor Hal shook her head.
"I apologize, please forgive me, but I cannot grant your request at this time, Viscount Emrys."
"Does governor Hal have any concerns?" Emrys was naturally not a fool and immediately guessed that the governor might be facing some trouble.
governor Hal no longer beat around the bush and stated directly.
"First, Avacalon is currently under attack by a Chaos fleet, and all starports in the hive city are sealed. Second, I cannot fully trust that your fleet has no connection to Chaos. If I were to allow you to enter the starport, I could not bear the consequences."
These two sentences made Emrys understand governor Hal's reasons for not daring to let them enter the starport.
To put it bluntly, it was a lack of trust!
Despite having identification, it couldn't fully prove that Emrys' appearance on Avacalon at this moment was entirely unrelated to Chaos.
Secondly, Avacalon was currently under attack by Chaos, and the starport was crucial. As Planetary Lord, bearing the heavy responsibility of Imperial governor, Hal naturally could not tolerate even the slightest mistake.
If Emrys' fleet were allowed into the starport, what if he was a spy sent by Chaos to infiltrate from within?
Hal dared not gamble, nor could she.
After understanding Hal's predicament, Emrys pondered for a few seconds and proposed another suggestion.
"I understand your concerns. How about this—the fleet stays here, and I, along with one other person, personally go to the hive city to meet you? How does that sound?"
Seeing governor Hal still hesitating, he continued.
"Of course, for safety reasons and considering your responsibilities, we are willing to be under the constant supervision of guards and can disarm ourselves."
This way, they would be "Harmless," demonstrating their sincerity to the maximum extent.
"Alright."
governor Hal nodded, agreeing to the meeting.
"I will have the astropath send you the exact location. I hope you will keep your promise and understand our difficulties, otherwise—"
Although Hal didn't explicitly state the latter part, the threat in her eyes was quite obvious.
If she detected even the slightest abnormality from them, this decisive governor would not hesitate to end their lives physically.
"Please rest assured, governor Hal. I swear in the name of the Emperor that there will be no transgression whatsoever."
Emrys immediately assured her.
When the holographic projection conversation ended, Zabriel couldn't hold back.
"Lord, I don't understand. Couldn't we just tell her the news of the Primarch's coming home? Why go through such a roundabout way!"
From Zabriel's perspective, the news of the Gene-Primarch, the Emperor's Son, coming home, was enough to make the planetary governor kneel and welcome them. Why bother with all the extra talk?
Looking at Zabriel, Emrys sighed.
"First, answer me a question. How do you prove that the Gene-Primarch you speak of is the true Gene-Primarch?"
"This—"
This question truly stumped Zabriel.
He stared blankly for a moment, then foolishly said.
"Do we still need to prove it? A Gene-Primarch is just a Gene-Primarch, isn't it? What is there to prove? Wouldn't it be enough to just let His Highness Lyon appear before these mortals?"
This idea proved that Zabriel's thinking was still stuck in the era of ten thousand years ago, when Space Marines were revered and Primarchs were deeply ingrained in people's hearts.
"Zabriel, times have changed."
Emrys pinched his brow, explaining to him.
"Ten thousand years ago, no one would have dared to question the authenticity of a Gene-Primarch. But now, Gene-Primarchs have been gone for ten thousand years, and their very existence has become a legend and a myth. How can you ask these humans, who have never seen a Primarch, to believe a person who suddenly appears and claims to be a Gene-Primarch, a Son of the Emperor?"
Zabriel tried to say something, but was interrupted again. Emrys continued.
"Besides, what's the situation now? Avacalon was just attacked by a Chaos fleet, and then suddenly a battleship appears, saying there's a Son of the Emperor, a Gene-Primarch, here. If it were you—would you believe it?"
Zabriel was speechless.
If he were the governor of Avacalon, it would be very difficult to believe a fleet that suddenly appeared in his territory, claiming to have a Gene-Primarch. Who knew if this was a scheme by Chaos scum?
You say it's not? Where's the proof?
Lyon?
Sorry, Lyon doesn't count as proof.
With his height of over four meters, just standing there, it would be good if he wasn't mistaken for a Chaos blessing.
As for conquering by sheer presence, the premise is that they must enter the hive city and meet governor Hal before they can convince her that Lyon is a Primarch.
If they can't even get through the door, what's there to talk about trust?