Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 878 I was your first War Commander, now you have a new War Commander

The Limitless Starfield, within the Otlama sector, is the Veredian system, which is not under the jurisdiction of the "Ultraman".

Coss.

Veredian, a beautiful blue-white star, hangs high in the sky like a pearl, its soft light spreading across the earth.

The fusion reactor on the Nered River powers the city of Numinas and the newly built Caucas fortress of the Shadow of Order.

The river water pumped up by the reactor's turbine blades washes away the carbon powder stains stuck to the blades.

The cascading river water hits the river mouth, covering the land with thick layers of black silt, making the entire valley the most fertile land in all of Kos.

Retired soldier Orr Persson owns a piece of land here, twenty acres of fertile black alluvial soil.

Orr retired after the Battle of Krysova twelve standard years ago, and he received a certificate and a ribbon of honor.

At the same time, he also exchanged his military merits for land proportional to the number of years he served.

Of course, unsurprisingly, the number of acres of land he received was rounded down.

Orl was no stranger to the Empire’s policies and a similar lifestyle.

For the last few centuries, he has repeatedly lived the life of "Soldier Pesson": serving in different imperial armies, fighting, accumulating honors, retiring, and "dying"...

This time, Or decided to take a longer break.

He scoffed when he saw the title "A New World, A New Koss" in the brochure, along with the idyllic scenes depicted, such as "Soldiers, Lord Nimrod welcomes you to Koss to build your new life" and "You will share the future with the shadow of order in your new homeland."

When will the beautiful new world belong to the soldiers?

He began to feel the difference of the journey as he boarded the seed transport ship.

Every bit of transport capacity during the Great Expedition was precious, and soldiers like Persson were often "cargo" carried on livestock transport ships.

He often lay on the lower deck, on a spiderweb-like bed, enduring for years the strange smells from the rudimentary ventilation system mixed with the sweat of the "cargo" before finally reaching a dilapidated world.

This time, as a human being, he arrived in Coss in just one year.

Over the next eleven years, Koss overturned all of soldier Persson's memories of his retirement home.

As Orl inhaled the scent of cabbage and beets wafting in the air and gazed at the vast expanse of vibrant flowers he had planted, the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.

Or enjoys the variety of colors, even though the flowers only belong to him temporarily. Soon after, they will be sent to Numinas to decorate the halls and robes of the nobles.

“Soldier Persson,” shouted Grafford, the loader servant who had accompanied Orl from the army.

His simple program cannot change the set name.

"It's time to stop."

“Girls!” Or called out to the girls around him who were picking and wrapping flowers.

"Put your work for today on the car, and your work for today will be finished."

Or hires young girls from the surrounding families to help him collect flowers, and he also hires boys to harvest flax.

Orr's land will not be left idle; he will plant flax in the winter to supply the local textile industry.

“Yes, soldier Persson.” A dark-skinned young girl carrying dozens of bouquets of flowers walked up to him.

“My father came back from the city yesterday and said that the Emperor has appointed a general.”

“I asked him what a War General was, and he said he didn’t understand, only that it was a general who commanded soldiers to fight against the Astartes giants.”

"Soldier Peison, do you know what a war marshal is?"

“War Commander…” Or chewed on this familiar yet unfamiliar word, countless images flashing through his mind.

The memories of 45,000 years flowed slowly, finally settling on 31,000 years ago.

Orl gazed silently at Terra, the man who had once been his lord, now the Emperor of Man, and the first Warmaster appointed by him.

He commanded all of the emperor's armies, and they fought side by side time and time again.

Until...East Phoenicia...the "Hearing School"...

[I was your first War Commander, now you have a new War Commander.]
"Commander."

"Of course I know."

"The War General is the commander-in-chief who commands all of the Emperor's armies. He is an extension of the Emperor's will and his most trusted military commander..."

Seeing that the girls' eyes were glazed over and they had calmed down, Orl stopped his rambling story.

"Simply put, all of the Emperor's soldiers, not just auxiliary soldiers and warships, but also the Astartes, and even those enormous mechanical constructs, knightly mechs and Titans..."

"All those in charge of fighting will obey the command of the war commander." "I understand. That means everyone, including Lord Ninglu's superiors, will be in charge."

"Huh?" Orl was taken aback and asked, "Isn't Lord Ninglu a war commander?"

Orl understood the Emperor and knew that he would not limit himself to the role of commander.

He will appoint a war commander sooner or later.

Having observed the Emperor's many sons in numerous battles, Orl believed that Nimrod was the most suitable.

He was often able to coordinate and accommodate the needs of various corps, and even auxiliary corps.

In the eleven years he has lived in Coss, he has witnessed everything that has happened there.

It was very different from other empires that had submitted to it; the Shadows of Order shaped it into a well-ordered and prosperous world.

More importantly, the people are stable and full of hope, unlike the oppressed and drained world he previously retreated to.

This is what he envisioned a great expedition should look like.

"I was shocked when I heard that. Lord Ninglu should be the war commander," the girl said indignantly.

"The emperor really has no taste."

Orl's lips curled up, wondering what his old friend, his former lord, would think upon hearing the girl's words.

He looked at the girls around him, his smile fading, and solemnly warned them.

"Don't talk like that again."

"Any word that is disrespectful to the Emperor may be punished!"

The girls turned pale as they stared at the stern-faced Or.

"Pesson...you're so scary..."

“I feel you are higher than…” The girl thought for a long time before remembering that he was the highest-ranking officer she had ever met.

"The reactor guard captain is even more terrifying."

Orr restrained his imposing manner and put on a smile.

"Is the War General Horus?"

Horus's achievements surpassed Nimrod's, and there was a long-standing rumor in the army that the first son of the emperor was the most favored.

Looking back now, it wasn't a rumor.

That lord should have favored Horus more.

Although he rarely experiences such emotions, it is not impossible.

"Yes." The girl nodded.

"My father told me he was in Ulanno..."

"Although it sounds impressive, I still think Lord Ninglu is more impressive." After being frightened by the soldier Peisong, the girl dared not speak any more nonsense, but she still thought that Lord Ninglu was the best and should be the war commander.

Orr learned everything she knew from the girl, and after rehearsing in his mind a series of major events, such as Horus killing the orc warlord and being appointed as a warlord by the emperor, he envisioned the pinnacle of the Great Crusade.

At Ulano, the emperor placed the crown of victory on Horus's head.

Orl collected his thoughts, waved goodbye to the girls, and silently led Grafford home.

He watched the loader, whose giant arms, once used for loading ammunition, had been replaced with basic loading and unloading tools, humming as they pushed carts filled with neatly arranged bouquets.

Orl watched as Grafford pushed the cart into the greenhouse for temporary storage and walked toward his white-painted little house.

He pushed open the door, his gaze lingering on the laser rifle above the fireplace.

"Neither you nor humanity needs an old soldier like me anymore."

“Soldier Persson, it’s time for you to truly retire.”

Orl recalled the past; he was the oldest man, seven thousand years older than the Emperor.

He recalled that he had lived through all recorded human history, even the legendary mythological era.

He recalled that he had been one of the Argonautical heroes, and that he had participated in the Battle of Austerlitz, the Siege of Verdun, and the March of 73...

Or shook his head self-deprecatingly, letting go of everything.

He went to the shower room, washed away the sweat from his labor, and buried the memories of the war with it.

(End of this chapter)