This is our Warhammer journey

Chapter 173 Huron, you've been caught! (6k)

"Hello, Chapter Commander Huron."

Aglaia tilted her head slightly, her gaze slowly sweeping across the harbor, as if assessing something.

Then, she turned to Huron, slightly raising her chin, and calmly nodded in greeting, neither humble nor arrogant.

She then took a step back, decisively relinquishing control of the conversation.

Huron's serious expression eased slightly, and the taut lines of his shoulder armor relaxed almost imperceptibly.

He didn't say much, but simply stepped forward to meet Romulus.

It's all fate, really.

Before heading to Altramor, Huron was preparing for his first Vortex Conquest since assuming the Chapter Mastership.

The Vortex Auxiliary Army, built up over fifty years of tax evasion, and the 'complete' Star Claws Chapter are already fully prepared. They have completed the cleanup of pirates and heretical forces in the Badab Starfield and are just waiting for the support invited from the Black Temple to arrive before they can launch their expedition.

Unfortunately, before the war even began, the Black Templar fleet, which had promised to assist them in the attack, rushed into the warp without leaving a single explanation after receiving an emergency summons.

This infuriated Huron, but considering the power he held, no matter how frustrated he was, he had no choice but to order the Vortex Guardians to retreat to their own base and wait for the next opportunity.

Meanwhile, he holed up in Badab, cursing these Sons of Dorne for disregarding brotherhood and for not understanding honor and trust.

But upon hearing that the four lords had gathered the Empire's strength in Bar and launched the Dawn Expedition, which still garners the attention of the Empire's high lords, the resentment that had been building in his chest immediately dissipated.

Huron's fingers unconsciously rubbed the unactivated power claws, his gaze passing through the observation window and into the depths of the void.

There, the Glory Queen-class warship of the Nemesis Legion hovered silently, its adamantine armor gleaming coldly in the starlight.

An indescribable bittersweet feeling welled up in his heart—

It wasn't jealousy, but a deeper, almost regretful feeling.

He's only angry about one thing now:

Why didn't the Black Templars take them with them when they left?!

Three years.

In just three short years, this expeditionary fleet set sail from the north of the Milky Way and headed south.

They reclaimed nearly a thousand fallen worlds and annihilated countless heretics and aliens.

Reconstructing ancient trade routes and restoring human dignity.

Whenever sporadic battle reports arrived from the Macurag star system, Huron would study them repeatedly in the tactics room, as if trying to witness that epic expedition firsthand through those cold words.

He knew Karna's bravery and charisma; his dazzling presence, whether on a battlefield strewn with corpses or in the magnificent council hall, was as undeniable as the sun.

As for the other two, all that Calgard knew of was that there was someone with that name. Only now, having seen their true appearance, was Huron able to feel the pressure emanating from their bodies.

Calm and serene, without any flaws, like an observer thousands of miles away, yet there is a contradictory feeling of a blade close to the neck.

He appears carefree and nonchalant, seemingly indifferent to worldly affairs, yet the glint in his eyes reveals a deadly depth.

They are all far superior to me, Huron, and are all worthy of my admiration and emulation.

but--

When Huron approached Romulus, his breathing became slightly heavier, and the servo system emitted a barely audible hum.

Romulus Quirinus.

Plan strategically and win the battle from thousands of miles away.

He rules over the stars and holds endless power in his hands.

In that instant, what ignited in Huron's eyes was not just respect, but also a burning ambition that almost broke through reason.

This is what a man should do!

"Greetings, Lord Romulus."

He bowed solemnly, his posture respectful yet not humble.

He was born to do great things.

Romulus sighed softly.

"Unfortunately, his abilities did not match his ambitions."

Ramses' voice resounded from the depths of his heart.

"They have operational capabilities, but their interpersonal skills are a complete mess. It takes a lot of skill to turn all the imperial forces except Astartes into enemies."

His gaze swept over the space wolves outside the harbor, who were picking a fight with the mechanical priest, and a vague plan began to take shape in his mind.

These belligerent wolf cubs should really be allowed to roam the 'Silent Oath'; the Dark Angels' reactions would be quite amusing.

At the same time, projections about Huron's future flowed through my mind like a data stream:

Huron, leader of the Great Vortex, tax-fighting pioneer, and expert in having more children than allowed.

Without intervention, history will repeat itself—150 years later, in M41.903, the Empire's scrutiny will gradually penetrate the Badab star system, and then the Huron incident will occur.

The audit committee members will dig out the first flaw from the mountain of documents, then the second, the third...
They first discovered his tax evasion, and then followed the trail to the Tiger Claws, which had been expelled from the organization.

The investigation into the issue of accepting sub-groups unexpectedly revealed an overstaffed number of Space Marines.

As they delved deeper into the issue of recruiting soldiers, the darkest evidence of blasphemy finally surfaced.

Huron 'slightly' tampered with the gene seed in order to achieve faster overpopulation.

Then there is no more then.

A new chaotic star, second only to the pointy-headed Abaddon, is rising.

In just a hundred years, he developed his Red Pirates into the second largest Chaos Astartes warband after Abaddon's Black Legion.

"Yes, a typical Great Astartesian, trusting only the Astartes."

Romulus replied.

It is too early to execute this commander. People always change, and we cannot judge him now based on his potential future crimes.

Except Erebus.

"Greetings, Chapter Master Huron."

Romulus paused for a moment, looking at the man in front of him.

There's a lot of room for maneuver in Huron's case; in fact, it doesn't even need to be resolved. Just being able to drag it out for a hundred years or so would be a victory.

Ramses is currently working on research into the power of death, and once they have cultivated an army, they will head straight for the Eye of Terror in Kadia to seize the Old Woman's Sword. Guilliman might even wake up sooner then.

"We need relevant information, especially information on refugees from various star sectors."

As Romulus spoke, his gaze passed over Huron and landed on the fortress monastery.

"Of course, our staff has already taken care of it. Please follow me."

Huron responded immediately, making a standard guiding gesture with his right hand.

He ignored the vehicles and equipment continuously being delivered from the transport ships, not even glancing at them. Even a tiny fraction of them could have enabled him to lead his entire regiment in a glorious war.

Building good relationships with the four adults is more important than anything else.

Several people followed, the sound of their boots hitting the gold floor echoing rhythmically in the corridor.

Romulus's gaze slowly swept over the defenses along the way.

Huron's meticulously planned route was flawless, with every strategic node clearly visible, from the deployment array of the orbital defense platform to the firing sectors of the ground-based anti-aircraft artillery.

These fortifications demonstrate the meticulousness characteristic of a commander who has been dealing with space attacks for many years, with no blind spots in the fire coverage between the gun positions.

The handling of population gathering and dispersal is very unsatisfactory.

The visibly slow pace and the bloated state of the concentrated population contrasted sharply with the efficient dispersal of the population during screening and their relocation back to transport ships heading towards refuge planets.

"You have quite a lot on your mind."

He chuckled softly and then asked directly.

"Commander Huron, are there any difficulties in the process of population relocation in Koss?"

Huron was delighted. Just as he had expected, this kind of leader who pursues perfection cannot tolerate the waste of efficiency.

"Yes, because of the existence of gene stealers, we need to conduct genetic testing on every refugee who arrives."

Huron's voice sounded particularly deep through the power armor's loudspeaker; he deliberately slowed his speech, making each syllable carry just the right amount of heaviness.

"However, the Mechanicus monopolized the production and use of the identification instruments, thereby controlling a portion of the logistics of the planetary defense system."

What's the point of controlling the ports?
Romulus's gaze passed through the observation window and landed on the busy loading and unloading area in the distance.

Those figures in red robes moved about on the cargo platform, their servo skulls circling like greedy vultures over every transport ship that docked.

The answer is obvious—

Taking advantage of the chaos in the star sector, they dispatched exploration fleets to various worlds to fish in troubled waters.

Finding an STC fragment is a huge win, and even if you get nothing, you can still quietly advance your secrets amidst the turmoil.

Romulus stared at the void for two seconds, then simply waved his hand without revealing any expression.

Arthur silently turned and left.

If you don't do it, plenty of others will.

Seeing this, Huron couldn't help but clench his fist in excitement.

However, this excitement did not last long.
-
Snapped--!
The conference table, crafted from fine gold, resonated with a dull thud under the heavy impact, and a parchment document stamped with the High Lord's wax seal slid half a meter across the table.

Aglaia was still in the gesture of reaching out to stop him, but Ramses had already slammed the document down in front of Huron.

"Commander Huron—"

Ramses drew out his words, his fingertips rhythmically tapping the prominent tax inspector's stamp on the document. He leaned forward slightly, casting a shadow on Huron's suddenly tense face.

"You're in trouble."
-
In the conference room, Aglaia looked directly into Huron's eyes.

An unspoken threat hung in the air.

"Chaptermaster Huron, according to the Empire's known data, the Tiger Claw Chapter has been expelled. I must confirm one thing: are you still loyal to the Empire?"

After Huron personally handed over command of the Star Claws to Romulus, and Ramses slammed the documents onto the table, the atmosphere in the hall became tense.

hum~
The servo skull hummed uneasily in the corner, making the screeching sound of the quill pen scratching across the parchment all the more jarring.

"of course."

Huron nodded frankly, allowing the judge to see every subtle change in his expression.

Although Lord Ramses's surprise attack was frightening, the expeditionary fleet's attitude was clear: they were going to protect him.

Questioning now is a good thing; the questions raised here mean there is still room for negotiation.

"While serving as the galactic center nexus, the Great Vortex is also close to the warp rift. We, as guardians of the Great Vortex, have stood guard here for hundreds of years, and no one can question our loyalty."

His power gloves tightened unconsciously as he recalled the days and nights he spent fighting the Chaos Warband.

The flashes of artillery fire illuminating the void, the sight of ships corroded by the warp disintegrating before my eyes—the thought of potentially becoming like that in the future sent a chilling revulsion up my spine and to the back of my head.

Without the supplies and manpower provided by the Empire World, his grand plan to conquer the Great Vortex will forever remain just a pipe dream.

“Your promise needs time to prove itself, Huron Warband Commander.” Aglaia nodded slightly, glancing at the suddenly appearing Calidus assassin beside her. The killer, dressed in optical camouflage, seemed to have materialized out of thin air.

The silent exchange between the two seemed to lower the temperature in the conference room even further.

After a moment, the judge spoke again: "Your resistance to taxes is no secret to the High Lords."

"I know."

Huron indicated that he understood, and that he had been withholding eleven percent of the tax revenue for fifty years. The merchant alliance in the neighboring upper sector, the Casgo sector, was furious, but the tax inspector of the sector had not made any statement.

This signifies the empire's tacit approval, which is why he has always dared to do this.

The Imperial Ministry of Justice is incredibly powerful. Many Slaanesh Chaos cults in various star sectors were caught by the Ministry of Justice for not paying taxes. It would be strange if he hadn't been investigated after dragging this out for decades.

However, they can't catch the thieves because the gene thieves are all model taxpayers.

The Calidus assassin glanced furtively at Romulus.

The commander of the expeditionary fleet was flipping through the documents at an astonishing speed. The sound of the parchment pages flying between his fingers was like a rapid drumbeat. He didn't even spend enough time on each page to read the title, but his sharp eyes clearly imprinted every word in his mind.

"The Empire's order is for you to guard the Vortex Sector, not to conquer it. The Empire does not want another Makarius to emerge, and it also expects a sector to fulfill its necessary responsibilities to some extent."

Every emphasis in her recitation was perfectly placed, as if the master assassin were speaking directly through her lips.

The candlelight cast flickering shadows in her bright eyes, making the unspoken implications even more obvious.

"I see."

Huron replied immediately.

"Furthermore, for reasons that everyone knows, you must support mortal representatives and cannot openly interfere in the political affairs of various planets."

"it is good."

The answer was still crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Huron's lips twitched slightly. He had been waiting for this opportunity to negotiate for far too long. He was willing to accept compromises in negotiations, to accept the Empire's oversight, and to accept the red lines drawn. In fact, he was not even planning a rebellion.

He wanted to conquer the vortex and achieve his personal goals.

But the empire never paid him any attention.

With his eyes lowered, Huron recalled the chess games he had devised alone at the Badab Fortress, and the troop deployments he had repeatedly calculated in front of the star map.

Now, these things finally have the potential to be put into practice.

"The Empire will begin rebuilding Tiger Claw, but it must use gene seeds handed over by the Ultramarines, and it must be done under the supervision of Macragge and the Ultramarines."

She went on to say that this was a request to the expeditionary fleet.

Andar unconsciously clenched his fists. At that moment, his breathing grille was spewing out chaotic white mist, and the servo system was emitting an unnatural hum.

The exact time when this sergeant joined the Star Claws is a mystery, but it is certain that he did not participate in the Tiger Claws Chapter's original Atonement Expedition.

Ramses, who had already hooked a wolf cub with his Thousand-Child Psionic Illusion, glanced at the other party.

He is the last tiger's claw, and he will also be the last claw of the starry sky.

"The Empire can trust that Tigerclaw is loyal, but because of the source of Tigerclaw's gene seeds, we need a specific list of Tigerclaw warriors whose gene seeds must be recovered through a gene seed tax."

Seeing that the other party had tacitly agreed, Aglaia continued.

Huron's face showed a conflicted expression.

Out of instinctive brotherhood, he did not want the brotherhood to be broken, but Tiger Claw did indeed originate from a notorious military campaign.

Curse Jianjun.

The Astartes Chapter, which was formed during this military campaign, was more or less affected by the genetic seed mutation.

This includes physical mutations, such as the sharp bone spurs exposed on the body surface of the Black Dragonflight.

In addition to their spiritual transformation, a considerable number of the newly formed armies sided with Chaos.

This meant that the newly formed combat groups not only had to endure the intense, round-the-clock surveillance of the court, but also the cold stares from their fellow soldiers.

The Weeping Chapter, also one of the guardians of the Great Vortex, is a member of the Cursed Army. However, due to their unexpectedly stable genes and their approachable and open-minded style, they are doing surprisingly well.

To be fair, the most serious mutation is that of the weeping ones; they have actually mutated into having a conscience.

"History has proven that the vast majority of the battle groups in the 21st Army were mistakes."

The judge's voice fell like a cold gavel, and she deliberately slowed her speech, making each syllable wedge into the air like a nail.

"Their genetic seeds have mutated too severely to qualify for preservation."

The data slaves stopped recording without prior agreement, and the robotic arms hovered in mid-air, all waiting for Huron's reaction.

This is the bottom line of the Assassin's Court. Because of his profession, no one except the Imperial Guard, who doesn't interfere in affairs, knows more secrets than the Grand Assassin.

Therefore, the Assassin's Court can tolerate losses in worldly interests, but it can never accept an unstable existence.

If they hadn't been so desperate to find fault with the Black Dragon Chapter, they would have wiped it out long ago.

Upon hearing this, Romulus shook his head.

The source of this tragedy was clearly the biomechanical orders that arbitrarily altered genetic sequences and the High Lords Council that blindly approved the establishment of an army, but in the end, it was the Astartes who had been fighting to this day, burdened with the curse, who bore the bitter consequences.

In the noble tombs of Terra, those high lords who made those decisions are probably just tombstones inscribed with empty words, receiving offerings that no one cares about.

"I hope that the Tiger Claw brothers can participate in the rebuilding of the chapter."

After a long silence, Huron finally spoke.

"can."

The psychic light that had been swirling in Aglaia's eyes suddenly vanished, and the invisible link between her and the Khalidus assassin was severed like a thread.

The assassin's figure then disappeared into the shadows, leaving only faint specks of light as the optical camouflage dissipated.

"These are the Empire's requirements for you, as well as the Empire's bottom line."

The judge adjusted the sealing chains on his cuffs, the metal rings clinking together with a crisp sound.

She paused for a moment, allowing the conference room's automatic recorder to complete the final data entry, before continuing:
"Next is my personal request to you."

"Please say."

Compared to when they first met, Huron's tone was much more polite.

Some things are actually better when you talk them out.

Of course, the main force was the expeditionary fleet.

He looked gratefully at Romulus, who had facilitated the meeting.

My own little matter is nothing compared to the seriousness of the expeditionary fleet.

Romulus has already begun to remotely control the politics of the sector, presiding over personnel appointments and dismissals in various departments, and even leading the members of the expeditionary fleet to form cliques and engage in private activities. It's unthinkable what he plans to do next.

The Highlords were cursing loudly. Why was it the Black Templars, not the Ultramarines, that ran into these Primarchs? Damn it, with the current state of the Ultramarines, it's really hard to say who will be in charge in the future.

The strange chemistry between the two traitors is...

Fortunately, Aglaia was there as a channel that satisfied both sides, and Romulus was also very clear about the High Lords' bottom line; otherwise, a war would have been inevitable sooner or later.

The High Lords were convinced that as long as these people didn't openly split the Empire and didn't send their warships into the solar system, they could do whatever they wanted.

It probably won't take long for us to fight from north to south and from east to west in three years.
-
"."

The air in the conference hall seemed to freeze, with only the judge's suppressed breathing echoing between the adamantite walls.

A noticeable tremor could still be heard in the deliberately controlled rhythm.

[Esteria, the agricultural garden world, was attacked by a Zerg hive fleet 192 days ago. The Imperial Military Affairs Department and nobles from various regions dispatched a large number of armed forces to try to protect this jewel of the eastern star system of Alteramar, but the situation is not optimistic.]

The last contact with Esteria was 32 days ago. Records indicate that the local Tyranid population has reached hundreds of billions and is still under siege by tens of thousands of Tyranid warships.

Three weeks ago, a combined force consisting of Ultramarines' Tarasa squad, as well as Ascetics and Lamenters, traveled to the agricultural garden world of Esteria, with the option of issuing an extinction order if necessary.

Currently, no refugee fleet from Esteria has been received.

"My lord, I request permission to travel to Esteria."

Aglaia immediately spoke seriously.

"go together."

Romulus flicked his fingers and closed the yellowed parchment document.

The invincible guards immediately gathered up the files on their desks and silently stored them in the encrypted containers. The "click" sound of the metal boxes closing was particularly crisp in the quiet conference hall.

"Huron, you are in charge of the evacuation efforts. You are authorized to act first and report later, but remember to write reports."

"Yes, my lord!"

Huron immediately thumped his chest and bowed.

Everyone quickly got up and hurried towards the location of the Stormbird.

Aglaia's pupils dilated slightly as she watched the departing figures of the transmigrators, momentarily at a loss for words.

At this moment, the fatigue from constantly reporting to the High Lord and the long-term pressure of worrying about gains and losses all disappeared.

Effort will eventually pay off.

But now, fate has made its choice.

The judge was lucky.

".Um."

In the end, she simply responded softly and quickly followed the group, the sound of her boots on the adamantite floor slightly disordered.

Romulus was certainly not acting on a whim to win a smile from the beauty.

While Aglaia was agreeable, Romulus was willing to provide him with military and manpower support out of camaraderie, and he himself would certainly not be stingy with any assistance he could offer.

However, no matter how pleasing someone is to the eye, it's not just a matter of arbitrarily adjusting tactics based on the opponent, risking the lives of countless soldiers.

The key point is that the mourners are over there.

Huron provided very detailed information, and Romulus also felt that any approach was acceptable. After all, the Behemoth Hive fleet was currently very scattered, and its strategy should be to prioritize collecting biomass and then use overwhelming force to break through the defenses.

The presence of the weeping men immediately gave Romulus direction, and at the same time, it allowed him to take care of his comrades' feelings, achieving the best of both worlds.

Do you remember that each of the warbands that cursed the founding of the army had its own flaws?

There were also those who wept bitterly.

Their warriors possess robust physiques and an abnormally high genetic seed compatibility rate. They do not suffer from the blood thirst symptoms that plague the offspring of the Holy Blood Angels, and even the outbursts of Black Rage are extremely rare.

These qualities are enough to make the apothecaries of the Holy Blood Angel lineage green with envy.

Therefore, their defects are naturally not physical.

Romulus suddenly looked up at the observation window. Through the reinforced glass, he could see the flag of the weeping people in the harbor. The battle-worn flag was swaying gently in the blue light of the Void Shield.

They were very unlucky.

Extremely unlucky.

　P.S.: It's the weekend, so I'll stay up late and write more.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)