Brevis was proving to be far more interesting than Raynor had imagined.
Being the governor of a planet was a significantly more enticing prospect than being a pirate plundering biomass in the cold reaches of space.
He removed the chip and placed it back into the box, nesting it alongside the letter of recommendation.
"Let's go," he said, turning around. "We shall return to the restaurant to eat and talk. I need to know everything about his planet."
He deliberately emphasized the word "his."
After all, the only forces remaining aboard the Song of Dedication were the remnants of the human crew and the Sarah Swarm. The Genestealers had been the first to be purged by the swarm, and the Chaos Cultists had been dealt with shortly thereafter. As for Valak, the moment he sensed the arrival of the Sarah Swarm, he had scurried into the shadows and fled. He likely took whatever scraps he could salvage from the Song of Dedication, which could potentially trigger a massive upheaval in Gamor, the capital of the Dark Elves.
The three of them left the room and returned to the once-luxurious but now chaotic restaurant.
Raynor ordered the chef—who was currently infected by a Genestealer—to use the ship's premium ingredients to sear a synthetic meat steak. He took the seat at the head of the table, elegantly cutting a piece of the steak with his knife and fork. He placed it in his mouth, chewing slowly and savoring the flavor. It had to be said: the food these nobles enjoyed was vastly superior to standard nutritional paste.
"Tell me," Raynor said, swallowing his food. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and fixed his purple eyes on Kerry. "Brevis. Tell me everything you know."
His tone was commanding. Kerry knew that resistance was futile. He glanced at his wife, who sat beside him looking utterly despondent, and then at the shadow perched on Raynor's shoulder. He sighed and began his account.
"Brevis is a hive world located in the Misty Sector, within the Lysis system at the very edge of the Calixis Sector. It was originally an industrial world with highly developed mining and manufacturing sectors. However, it suffered the same fate as many overdeveloped planets: explosive population growth, overexploitation of resources, and severe environmental pollution."
Kerry's voice was dry, but his mind grew clearer as he spoke. This was his "future" territory, after all, and he had done his homework.
"Following an evaluation by the Administratum and the Adeptus Mechanicus, it was determined that the planet was no longer viable as an industrial world. This led to its transformation into a typical hive world with a hostile surface environment. Today, over sixty percent of Brevis is comprised of permafrost and high-altitude ice fields, while ten percent consists of polluted oceans and rivers. Less than twenty-five percent of its plains and mountains are truly habitable."
Kerry paused for a moment before continuing.
"In addition to Brevis, the Lysis system contains a small agricultural world called Dorido, and two desolate planets with environments so harsh they possess no development potential. Furthermore, due to frequent warp storms around the system, it is considered a 'half-cage'—largely isolated. Its remote location and unstable shipping routes mean it exists in a state of semi-independence. Imperial control is weak."
In short, it was a highly autonomous world. Raynor listened as he slowly finished his steak, grasping the situation perfectly. Indeed, these isolated planets, far from the Emperor's light, were the most prone to local separatism. If one could become the governor here and wield true power, there would be no difference between him and a local warlord.
"But," Kerry added, his tone suddenly becoming hesitant.
Raynor stopped cutting his meat. "But what?"
"However, sir, the situation on Brevis may be more complicated than it appears on paper. About two years ago, a large-scale Ork invasion occurred on the agricultural world of Dorido."
"At first, it was just a scattered group of Boyz. Brevis sent the Planetary Defense Force to suppress them, thinking it would be a routine cleanup..." Kerry's voice dropped, tinged with lingering fear. "But those Orks... they reproduce and evolve too fast. In just a few months, the scattered warbands united into a true army. A Greenskin Warlord rose to power during that chaos, and he is said to be... special."
"Special?" A hint of curiosity flashed in Raynor's eyes.
"Yes," Kerry nodded. "It is said that this Warlord has an extraordinary obsession with 'eating.' The land of Dorido is fertile and rich in resources. After he conquered the planet, he didn't just raze it like most Orks. Instead, he forced Grot slaves to breed massive numbers of Squigs for food."
Raynor raised an eyebrow. This was indeed unusual. Most Ork Warlords cared only for "da fight" and building a bigger Waaagh! This one seemed to possess a modicum of logistical acumen.
"As a result, the Orks under his command are different from others. They are generally larger and physically stronger. I've even heard they hold 'eating contests' to see who can consume the most. Dorido was completely overrun a year ago."
Kerry's tone was full of disappointment, as if he personally felt the loss of the agricultural world. Raynor felt like scolding him for his misplaced grief, but he didn't interrupt.
"Without Dorido's tithes, Brevis's food supply collapsed. The planet lost nearly thirty percent of its population to starvation in just one year. Worse still, the Orks were not satisfied with one world. A month after Dorido fell, the Ork army launched a probing attack on Brevis. It started as small-scale harassment but escalated into a full planetary landing. According to the last report I received before setting off, most of Brevis's ice plains have been captured. The two sides are currently locked in a stalemate along the main defensive lines in the central hive clusters."
Raynor analyzed the situation. An Ork Warlord with a unique Waaagh! field and an understanding of logistics. Even with a stronger Greenskin army, Brevis had somehow managed to hold them in a tug-of-war for over a year.
He looked at Kerry and asked the crucial question.
"Given the Greenskins' rate of reproduction and their potential for total war, how has Brevis—an isolated hive world—managed to hold out for an entire year?"
This was the most illogical part. In the galaxy, once the Greenskins form a true Waaagh!, their destructive power increases exponentially. How could a remote hive world, lacking the support of the Imperial Navy or the intervention of a Space Marine Chapter, single-handedly hold off a rising Warlord for so long?
It was simply unbelievable.