Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 133 The Primarch is Never Simple

Horus is negotiating with a small human alliance, but his patience is wearing thin.

The flagship of Shadowmoon Wolf, the Vengeful Spirit, rested in the void, as steady as an ancient iron ingot.

A giant red crystal eye is inlaid on the bow of the ship, which is the symbol of Horus, implying that one cannot escape his watchful eye.

The Vengeance Soul is a Glory Queen-class warship built on Mars, possessing extremely powerful firepower.

Horus stood in his private office, gazing out the window at the distant planet he was striving to win over.

Out of respect, Horus ordered the Vengeful Spirit and the Shadowmoon Wolf fleet to remain anchored in the void, rather than directly pressing against the planet's orbit.

It demonstrated both the empire's strength and its stance: the empire came for peace.

Horus narrowed his eyes, weighing the possibility of war—the negotiations had reached a complete stalemate after days of talks.

A small human federation that has rediscovered ancient technology; its strength is neither great nor small.

These human worlds are stuck on a vital transportation route, a crucial passage for the Great Expedition.

This is why they are so greedy and make all sorts of outrageous demands during peace talks.

Tax exemption, power, and support.

They demanded tax exemptions, authority from the human empire, and supplies to support the alliance's members.

"Hmph." Horus let out a cold snort from his nose, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes.

Tax exemption is negotiable, but power and support? Wishful thinking.

The Alliance, unaware of its own limitations, demanded that the Empire build starports within the star system, requiring every passing ship to pay taxes.

They also demanded to join the imperial regime, obtain some power, and even ask for political power far exceeding its actual value.

After several rounds of negotiations failed to elicit a response from the other party, Horus walked away from the negotiating table with a smile during the final round.

He was gathering his legions, preparing to conquer the alliance.

If you can't understand the truth of the Empire, you should at least be able to see the iron fist of the Empire.

Since joining the Great Crusade, Horus has always fought for the interests of the Empire. When has he ever betrayed them?

The Little Human Alliance is attempting to use its geographical advantage to parasitize the human empire.

It’s just wishful thinking!
Horus intends to wage war, to severely punish arrogance, and to crush any delusional dreams.

He was calculating how to defeat the enemy.

The Human Alliance possesses considerable military strength, and in the Dark Ages, this place served as a transportation hub.

The planet's orbital defenses are still operational; ancient technology protects the world, and these are their only means of support.

A strong tortoise shell supports the confidence of the arrogant.

“Father.” Abaddon entered from the doorway and called out softly to Horus, interrupting his thoughts.

Abaddon reported to Horus: "Your two brothers are on their way."

Horus was visibly taken aback, then his eyes lit up, and his tone became slightly pleased: "They've completed their mission?"

"Yes. The two Primarchs have completed their conquest and are on their way back to Terra, stopping by to visit you."

"it is good!"

Horus shrugged and let out a hearty laugh: "My two brothers are indeed extraordinary. How long has it been? They've completed their mission!"

“Less than seventy-two standard hours.” Abaddon thought for a moment and gave a standard time.

"Prepare a banquet; I want to entertain them."

In the subspace, only the Herafnkel is sailing, heading to rendezvous with Horus.

Having completed their assigned mission, the War Dog Legion departs, returning to the Great Expedition to embark on their path of conquest.

The warriors of each legion returned to their respective legions, bidding a reluctant farewell to the two Primarchs, looking forward to their next meeting.

Space Wolf departed, on the orders of Lehman Ruth, and headed to Fenris, the Primarch's homeland.

"Bald He will definitely love the surprise I gave him!"

With a wicked grin, Ruth told Doom about his mischievous plans to surprise Horus.

Doom's lips twitched as he listened to Ruth's plan and his address to Horus, shaking his head repeatedly.

“Baldy He is definitely in trouble.” Ruth grinned, a hint of smugness in his eyes. “The Space Wolves won’t be going to help.”

“You let the wolves go,” Doom said, taking a sip of mead, “what if he sends us to the front lines?”

Ruth confided to Doom that there was another reason for letting the Space Wolf leave: to avoid getting involved with Horus.

It must be said that Ruth does have a set of insights.

Horus's failure to reach an agreement in a simple negotiation indicates that he has encountered some trouble.

The Space Wolves' entire fleet is heading there, and it will inevitably be drawn into this conflict.

Just to be on the safe side, Ruth sent the wolf away and, together with Doom, went to visit Horus.

Despite his seemingly selfish decision, Doom actually agreed with Ruth's actions.

While the various legions appear to be in harmony, competition exists behind the scenes, and the struggle for honor never ceases.

The ancient First Legion, in particular, became obsessed with the campaign, gradually losing their way as the Great Expedition deepened. Driven by a fanatical pursuit of honor and status, they recklessly conquered and fought without regard for consequences, often paying a heavy price.

Ruth's wolf pack, entering the Shadowmoon Wolves' mission without clear orders, was arrogant and rude.

Was Space Wolf here to help? Shadowmoon Wolf did not call for backup.

Are they here to watch the spectacle, or to supervise the battle?
Ruth's so-called "surprise" was that two Primarchs went without any fleet.

None of the emperor's sons were simple; they were all cunning old foxes with extraordinary minds.

"Let us go to the front lines?" Russ exhaled hot air from his nose, his beastly eyes darting around as he thought for a moment. "Probably not, Horus won't let us go."

“We are his brothers, not his subordinates.”

Doom remained silent, gently shook his head, drank the mead, and waited for the Herafnkel to return to the real universe.

“But you!” Ruth immediately changed the subject when he saw that Doom was not speaking: “You’re too strong, my brother.”

Ruth looked excited, moved over to Doom's side, and put her hand on his shoulder: "He's really too strong!"

As he exclaimed in admiration, he turned on the holographic projection, his eyes gleaming with pride.

Who is the muscular man in the video who is taking on a giant beast that is thousands of meters tall?
My good brother, Leman Russ—the King of Warriors, the Doom Slayer, Doom Norwick.

“Your leadership skills might be debatable,” Ruth said with certainty, putting his arm around Doom’s shoulder. “You’re definitely the fiercest warrior among the brothers.”

"Tsk tsk tsk." Ruth sighed and shook his head, replaying the video over and over again how Doom killed the giant beast.

"That was amazing! It's such a shame I didn't get to witness it in person."

Doom quietly sipped his drink, casually turning off the video feed, and slowly said, "Trouble will follow."

The expeditionary fleet's chroniclers had already recorded the scene, and it wouldn't be long before the Empire widely publicized it.

"Unique honors often come with these."

Ruth nodded in deep agreement; his brother's strength far surpassed that of his other brothers.

The genetic offspring of Doom inherited the fighting prowess of their genetic father, far surpassing that of their cousins.

As the last of the Sons, many Legion members suspect that the Doom Slayer is another masterpiece of the Emperor, and not their cousin.

"Let's not talk about these things."

Ruth may seem carefree and like a savage, but she is actually full of wisdom and quickly changed the subject.

While the two chatted about other things, the Herafunkel broke out of the subspace and arrived at the star system where Horus was located.

"Welcome, my brothers."

As soon as the ship left the warp, Horus immediately sent a communication, a sincere greeting on his face with a smile.

Horus's fleet did not appear, and Horus quickly understood his brother's intentions and was quite satisfied with his arrangement.

Nobody likes uninvited guests, especially between legions.

“We’ll go to your place.” Ruth nodded and boarded the small boat with Doom, heading towards the Soul of Vengeance.

"Look at all this. Coming back thirty years earlier really makes a difference."

Boarding the Soul of Vengeance, Ruth looked at the ship's furnishings, pointing and commenting on the display of his brother's belongings.

As the first son of the emperor, Horus spent thirty years by the emperor's side before embarking on a great expedition at a young age.

Inside the ship is a special exhibition room displaying honors and commemorating great stories of conquest.

Ruth's tone was appreciative, but also a little sour.

Compared to his vengeful spirit, his Herafnkel is like a rough house, not yet fully furnished.

The Shadowmoon Wolf warriors responsible for welcoming them dared not speak, silently leading the way for the two Primarchs.

"welcome."

Horus had already prepared a feast, and with a warm smile on his face, he embraced the two Primarchs.

Doom saw Horus's brightly lit bald head under the banquet lights, and it was indeed too bright.

"Looks like you've prepared a good meal." Ruth's nose twitched, and after the hug, he sat down in the chair and started scooping up food with his hands and putting it in his mouth.

Horus's eyelids twitched violently. Although he knew about Horus's other side, he was not used to the savagery he displayed.

Doom was very polite; he embraced Horus and sat down with composed manners.

Despite being brothers, the stark contrast between the two made Horus shake his head.

At a banquet, Doom and Horus chatted animatedly, while Horus buried himself in his food, his ears never idle, secretly listening to his brother's conversation.

The two seemed to have an unspoken agreement, chatting with Horus about ordinary things without mentioning the progress of the negotiations.

Doom and Ruth simply wanted to observe and learn from Horus about Space Marine combat.

Their real goal is this: they don't want to get involved; they just want to be bystanders.

Eat and drink as you please, and be a good guest.

Once the Shadowmoon Wolf faction starts fighting, we can learn a lot by carefully observing and studying their moves.

Horus, however, was anxious. He wanted to drag his two brothers into the mess and test their abilities.

(End of this chapter)