Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 866 War Commander, I won't let you control me.
“You are the War Commander, appointed by the Emperor, and everyone should accept it.” Company Commander Aizekel Abaddon’s high-piled braid stood out.

"Lord Ninglu is no exception."

“Nimrod has made his stance clear,” said Primarch Squire Marrogst.

"He supports you as the war commander, but he will not carry out your orders unconditionally."

"His refusal to deploy the six battle groups you ordered, and his sending only four battle groups to participate in the battle, demonstrates this in practice."

The Twisted One analyzed, deliberately ignoring Abaddon's furrowed brow.

"He's trying to tell you that he will only accept orders that he deems reasonable."

Abaddon snorted coldly, "The orders of the Wolf God are reasonable, and the orders of the War Commander cannot be disobeyed."

Marrogst shook his head. Only a handful of people within the Shadowmoon Wolves dared to openly argue with the unparalleled company commander, and the Twisted One was one of them.

He was never popular within the Legion, and even by Astartes standards, he was too aloof.

He never tried to befriend anyone, remaining loyal only to Horus himself.

“Ninglu wouldn’t think that way.”

"Don't forget, he also once refused the emperor's orders..."

Horus and Abaddon knew what Marrogst was referring to, Nimrod who had refused the Emperor's order to erase the vanished Legion and the forbidden Primarch.

Horus caresses the ring on his left little finger.

I will establish my authority in the Akum-Sothoth Cluster using Nimrod and Corax.

Soon, all Primarchs will understand that I am their archer, the warmaster appointed by their father.
His father's admonition suddenly flashed through his mind.

"I need to remind you that your Primarch brothers all have strong will, thoughts, and actions."

"Don't try to change them, make good use of their unique power."

"[Use...]" Horus said to Abaddon after a few seconds of thought.

“Immediately extend an invitation to my brother, Saint Gilles.”

He then said to Marrogster, “Prepare a grand welcoming ceremony; I will personally receive Saint Gilles’ arrival.”

At the same moment that Marrogst and Abaddon carried out their orders, Nimrod, who had returned to the Shadow of Thrones, summoned Artena Dunne, Lord of the Fifth Chapter Santiago Bergkamp, ​​and Priest Pat to the Primarch's office.

"Horus summoned me and Corax to the Akum-Sothos Cluster to quell the rebellion."

"I have decided to deploy four battle groups: the Fifth Battle Group, the First, Third and Tenth Battle Groups."

The First Warband, primarily using the "Judgment" pathway, and the Third Warband, primarily using the "Dark" pathway, will be the main forces in fighting the Blind King and obtaining potion ingredients.

The 10th Legion had the largest number of members and participated in every battle.

“Follow Your command.”

After the Primarch's servant respectfully obeyed, Nimrod looked toward "the traveler" San Diego.

“Mark the coordinates of key nodes in the Akum-Sothoth cluster.”

[Commander, since you've chosen me as your target to establish your authority, I won't hold back.]

I won't let you manipulate me!
The 100 worlds of the Akum-Sothos Cluster are industrially advanced, easily navigable, and rebellious territories, so naturally they want to seize profits.

If the Akum-Sothos cluster weren't located in the Solar Region, near the Imperial Center, and unsuitable as a rear base, Horus would have undoubtedly used it as his foundation instead of targeting the Cyclopes cluster in the new Colony district.

The Akum-Sothoth Cluster has always been under Horus's control, and the rebellion would not have occurred had it not been parasitized by the Xenomorphs. After the rebellion is quelled, it will inevitably return to Horus's control, and most worlds will join the uprising during the Great Birthday Celebration.

At that time, Nimrod would have a legitimate reason to attack, and under the pretext of suppressing the rebellion, he would claim the achievement that Horus cherished most as his own.

“Follow Your will.” Saint Diego respectfully accepted the order.

After the three left, Ninglu got up and headed towards his residence.

He stepped out and arrived at the fourth level of the "Land of Chaos".

After Nimrod sat down, his spiritual energy reached Maria Kournikova's sphere of spiritual light.

"Follow the fleet and infiltrate the Akum-Sothos Cluster."

He decided to send "assassins," "instigators," "witches," and "pleasure witches" to infiltrate the Akum-Sothoth Cluster, so that he could control many worlds while preserving industrial capacity and other facilities relatively intact.

Nimrod's spirituality then spread, touching the spiritual orb of Nerat Gearing, the chapter leader of the 18th Dark Ravenguard Chapter—the Ash Claws—pulling him into the Land of Chaos.

“My Lord.” Nerat, who had recently been promoted to Sequence 5 “Shepherd”, knelt on one knee.

"Horus will summon the Ravenguard to fight in the Akum-Sothoth Cluster. Corax will follow the Warmaster's orders and send you to launch a strong attack on the alien fortress."

With the flesh and blood skills of the "Rose Bishop," Nerat sculpted the jet-black eyes inherited from the Father of Genetics into the eyes of the Black Emperor Obsidian, overflowing with icy coldness.

"Corax has never liked us and has never summoned us since he returned to the Legion."

"Among the Terran descendants, only Balsa is highly valued and now serves as the Legion's think tank director."

Ninglu nodded. In order to ensure that Balsa Kuturi could smoothly become the initial Grand Mentor of the "Grey Knights" in the future, he did not promote him to "Chaos Mentor" in the previous Ark Edge Cluster.

He is still a Sequence 6 "Corrupted Baron".

"If he were to choose a sacrifice, he would definitely choose us, not those saviors who follow him."

Nerath's tone was full of hatred. "Horus is the same."

“By Your revelation, I have long understood that the will of Horus only uses us as weapons to do things that tarnish the glorious image of the Shadowmoon Wolf.”

Ninglu nodded in satisfaction; it was best that Nerat understood.

In his memory, Nerat only realized the cold truth after the Battle of Gate 42.

During the Great Birthday Celebration, in the conflict that broke out in the Ghoul Starfield, "Ash Claw" neither pledged allegiance to the Empire nor served Horus. After looting extensively, he left on his own.

For the next ten thousand years, they did not pledge allegiance to either the Empire or Chaos.

"My lord, what should we, the people of Terra, do?"

Nerat raised his head and looked at the Black Emperor, his eyes full of hope.

"Don't worry." Ninglu's authoritative voice calmed Nerat's fluctuating emotions.

“I will also go, and I will certainly not stand idly by while Horus and Corax send you to your sacrifice alone.”

Nimrod accepted Horus's orders not only for the potion ingredients and to gain prior knowledge of the Akum-Sothoth cluster and infiltrate it, but also, and perhaps more importantly, to prevent the Terran "Raven Guardians" from being consumed in the struggle between Horus and Korax, and to preserve their strength as much as possible.

After all, they will all be our people in the future.

“Thank you for your mercy, my Lord,” Nerath replied gratefully. With the Black Emperor’s words, he had no more worries.

(End of this chapter)