Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 397 The Shock Brought by the Saturn Shape
“Indeed, Your Excellency.” Salken’s voice trembled slightly, his tone a mixture of disbelief and sincere gratitude.

His armored fingers unconsciously rubbed the battle scars on his knee armor: "That batch of supplies—fifty sets of brand-new power armor, half a company's worth of standard equipment, and eighty new recruits replenished in Rostov—far exceeded our expectations."

The armored servo system hummed softly with his breathing as he continued, “This allows us to return to our garrison with dignity and strength.”

This statement was made with great solemnity, each word carrying a heavy weight.

Suddenly, his posture became extremely formal, and the armor servo system emitted a subtle adjustment sound, adjusting his sitting posture to the most standard military posture.

"I am deeply honored to receive your personal invitation before my departure." His voice became lower and more solemn, his gaze behind his mask fixed on Chen Xi: "I just wonder if there is anything else you need to say?"

Although Salken maintained perfect manners, Chen Xi keenly noticed the subtle changes in the other party's expression and movements, as well as the guardedness hidden in his seemingly relaxed but actually ready-to-act posture.

This is not surprising—Chen Xi knows Astartes all too well.

For any chapter, the role of the Inquisitor is like a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.

Whether it's a compliance review of a Chapter's sacred text, an investigation into the purity of the Geneseed, or the conscription of Astartes when an Inquisitor needs to carry out a special mission, it all means enormous risks and burdens for any Chapter.

Chen Xi didn't answer directly. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and asked with genuine curiosity, "Company Commander Salken, the legacy of the Silver Blade is impressive. Whose offspring are you?"

“Nominally, we are a subsidiary of the Salamanders,” Salken replied, a hint of helplessness in his voice, his armor joints emitting a slight metallic scraping sound. “But in reality, we use more Ultramarines’ gene seeds.”

"Oh?" Chen Xi raised an eyebrow, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the table. A knowing glint flashed in his eyes, and his voice carried a scholarly inquiry: "Then your battle group has a very long history? Only during the era of the Second Founding of the Army could there be such a mix."

He was referring to that particular period—the Great Rebellion had just ended, all the Legions had suffered heavy losses, Geneseeds were extremely scarce, and even the Primarchs had to put aside their pride and support each other during those difficult years.

Salken shook his head: "Our parent organization may be traced back to that era, but the Silver Blade is just a branch organization that split off from the parent organization, and its history is not that long. We just inherited the legacy of that special period."

Chen Xi nodded knowingly, tapping her fingertips lightly on the table, wisely avoiding this sensitive topic that might touch on the secrets of the battle group.

He readjusted his posture, placed his hands on the table, and steered the conversation back on track: "In any case, the Emperor and the Empire have witnessed the loyalty and bravery that the Silver Blade displayed during the Rostov Expedition."

The light outside the window suddenly brightened, illuminating Chen Xi's solemn face.

He continued, “Every fallen warrior will not be forgotten. To express my respect for Rostov and myself, I have a personal gift for you and the Silver Blade Chapter.”

Salken's armor servo system emitted a slight adjustment sound, and he bowed slightly, his eyes filled with cautious anticipation.

In his mind, this was most likely a symbolic token—perhaps a medal of honor engraved with the chapter's insignia, or a jeweled ceremonial dagger; such gifts were not uncommon when Astartes interacted with other powers.

“Thank you for your generosity, Your Excellency.” Salken’s voice came through the armored resonator, carrying just the right amount of respect: “The Silver Blade cherishes every loyal friendship.”

He was already considering how to properly place this keepsake in the warband's archives.

Just then, the heavy wooden doors of the reception room slid open smoothly under the silent action of a hydraulic system. Two burly machine gunners, with precise steps, pushed a huge equipment case equipped with a sophisticated shock-absorbing device slowly into the room.

The surface of the box is printed with a huge mechanical emblem, so large that it almost occupies the empty space in the center of the reception room.

Chen Xi turned his gaze to the behemoth, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "Company Commander Salken, this is my gift."

The mechanical servants stopped in the center of the reception room with the precision characteristic of the Mechanicus, their multi-jointed mechanical arms unlocking complex locking mechanisms at a dazzling speed.

With an elegant gesture from Chen Xi, the box emitted a hissing sound as air pressure was released, and the heavy armor plates slowly unfolded, revealing the amazing gift hidden inside.

Inside the box, under soft internal lighting, a Terminator suit of armor with an ancient and majestic design stands quietly on a specially made stand.

Every inch of its armor exudes a cold luster unique to ancient technology. Unlike the square design of modern models, the curved plates of this armor present a perfect curve, and the huge energy shield generator on the shoulder armor shines brightly under the light. The entire armor is like a work of art from the Golden Age.

Company Commander Salken abruptly stood up, his power armor and chair emitting a sharp hum from the sudden movement.

His breathing became rapid, his eyes widened, and his jaw almost dislocated.

The design of this armor was so ancient and unique that at first glance he even mistook it for some rare Mechanicus combat robot—its enormous size and distinctive shoulder structure were completely different from the rugged style of modern Astartes equipment.

"This...this..." Salken's voice faltered for the first time, revealing the intense emotional turmoil he was experiencing.

Chen Xi's voice rang out at the right moment, with a hint of pleasure in appreciating the other party's reaction: "Saturn-type Terminator Armor, Company Commander Salken."

His fingers lightly traced the edge of the box. "An ancient relic that has long since disappeared from the arsenals of most chapters, and is even hard to find in the Martian Archives."

“Saturn-shaped?!” Salken’s voice suddenly rose as he finally recognized this legendary set of equipment, which he had only seen in the ancient tomes of the chapter.

The armor's life support system issued an alarm, alerting him that his heart rate and blood pressure were rising rapidly.

“This…such a precious relic,” his voice trembled with excitement, “can it really…be given to me? To our chapter?”

A wave of dizziness washed over him, and Salken had to grab the armrest of his seat to steady himself.

Silver Blades is a notoriously poor faction; the entire faction has no more than five Terminator armor sets in total, and they are all cobbled-together secondhand items.

Even as a company commander, he wasn't qualified to wear it, let alone a Saturn-type weapon that was considered a rare treasure even in the early stages of the war!

Does a mere company commander like him really deserve to wear such a sacred relic that may be older than the history of the warband?

(End of this chapter)