Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 138 You Cannot Judge Me
The dust has settled. The Human Alliance never had a chance of winning.

The intervention of the two Primarchs was swift and decisive, breaking through the defenses and completely opening up the situation.

The rulers' ignorant greed and their relentless, ever-increasing pressure ultimately led to the sanctions imposed by the human empire.

They neither gained the benefits they wanted nor did they retain the power they once possessed.

After completing the handover in the Top Nest Council Chamber, Doom and Ruth immediately boarded the landing ship and returned to the Vengeance Soul.

"Are you sure you want to come along?" Doom asked Russ earnestly, carrying the fine wine he had plundered.

He has something to say to Horus, and a conflict might even break out. Doom really doesn't want Horus to get involved.

Two people can keep a secret, but three people are bound to have their secrets leaked.

It wasn't that Doom didn't trust Ruth; the meeting with Horus involved too many things, concerning their future brotherhood.

"I've made myself perfectly clear." Ruth shrugged and smiled, his nonchalant expression revealing his unwavering support for his brother.

"To be frank, Horus's actions have disappointed me greatly."

As Horus spoke, his expression grew increasingly serious. He disagreed with Horus's actions: "This is not just your personal opinion. I also want to hear what reasons Horus has for using his brother's offspring as cannon fodder."

"He must explain why those soldiers who were used as cannon fodder had their lives used as stepping stones to the honor of Shadowmoon Wolf."

“Even without you, after witnessing Horus’s actions, I would still demand an explanation from him.”

Ruth's voice was low, suppressing the anger in his throat.

His beastly eyes narrowed, filled with contempt and disdain: "If his answer does not satisfy me, then on this matter, Space Wolf despises Shadowmoon Wolf."

“Let’s go find him together,” Doom said solemnly, his heart heavy with sorrow at the thought of the soldiers of the Nineteenth Legion. “We must seek justice for our brother’s son.”

The two Primarchs stood side by side, like warriors stepping onto the battlefield, fighting for justice.

Horus waits in the Vengeful Spirit's private room, a room devoid of any technological equipment and with excellent soundproofing.

Family scandals should not be aired in public. If brothers have disagreements or disputes, they should discuss them behind closed doors.

His radiant and kind face lost its usual composure; this Primarch, who had conquered the stars without batting an eye, now showed a hint of tension.

Horus sat firmly on his desk, seemingly as steady as a mountain, but his hands clenched tightly beneath the desk; he was lost in thought.

As the commander-in-chief, he believed that victory in the war was the primary objective and that he was not at fault.

War requires sacrifice, and victory comes at a price.

As kings like Doom and leaders like Ruth, they should easily understand this simple truth.

Horus was thinking when the door to the room opened, and his two brothers stood in the doorway, staring intently at him.

"Please come in..."

He sighed inwardly; what was meant to happen would happen, and nothing was unavoidable.

Doom strode forward, with Ruth close behind, their expressions more resolute than the battlefield itself.

They came to collect a debt, demanding from Horus on behalf of the Nineteenth Legion the honor and power that were rightfully theirs.

As soon as the door closed, the temperature inside the room seemed to drop rapidly, instantly reaching freezing point.

The three Primarchs looked at each other in silence, their eyes meeting, their consciousness already locked in combat.

"Why?" Horus frowned and asked in confusion, "Don't you understand me?"

He stood up from his chair and raised his arm to his brothers: "You are the commanders, you know that there are always sacrifices and deaths in war."

Horus looked at Doom with conflicted eyes, his bright eyes yearning for his brother's understanding.

As for Rus, Horus felt he could be ignored.

He stood behind Doom, making his stance clear and firmly supporting Doom.

Just as he expected, Rus glanced at Horus, looked around the room, found a stool, sat down, and began to drink the plundered wine.

While stating his position, he did not get deeply involved, but first observed how the two brothers' ideas clashed.

Doom frowned, a hint of doubt showing on his handsome face.

His mind went blank for a moment. He never expected that Horus, such an extraordinary genius, would not be able to figure out the root of such a simple problem at this moment.

"Sacrifice and death?" Doom tilted his head slightly, and though he didn't want to fall into a trap, he spoke to Horus out of brotherly affection:

"We certainly understand that war is often accompanied by sacrifice."

Horus still did not understand why Doom and Rus stood together against him.

Doom shook his head helplessly, disappointment in his eyes: "Brother, you're too arrogant."

Horus's pupils constricted sharply, and his breathing became rapid.

Arrogance is the greatest sin; it makes one look down on everyone and show disrespect to all. Faced with his brother's heavy accusations, his face gradually turned pale, as if he had lost all his strength, and he supported himself with one hand on the table.

"I only want to ask you, you, Horus, great brother." Doom spoke each word clearly, his eyes piercing Horus as he met his brother's gaze.
"Why were the sacrificed not the warriors of Shadowmoon Wolf, but the offspring of your brothers who never returned?"

Horus instinctively flinched at the sharp gaze, and when he heard Doom's question, he was clearly taken aback.

"The War Council has entrusted the Nineteenth Army to you, hoping that you will make good use of them, not send them to their deaths."

"To die before the Shadowmoon Wolves, to pave the way with one's life, to exchange one's sacrifice for honor."

Doom's voice grew louder and louder, questioning Horus word by word, finally ending in a sigh: "Answer me, my brother."

"Why is it them who bear the consequences, not you?"

Boom~
The brother's question was like a sharp blade, piercing Horus's heart and revealing the issues he had subconsciously been unwilling to confront from the beginning.

He remained expressionless and silent, his extraordinary thoughts swirling in his mind.

Horus realized that the source of his brothers' anger was not the sacrifice itself, but the object of the sacrifice.

They need to be treated equally, with Shadowmoon Wolves receiving the same treatment as the 19th Legion, and with fair and reasonable sacrifices and bloodshed.

Fair? Reasonable?
Horus really couldn't do it!
As the Primarch, he understood the source of his actions: to prevent the sacrifice of the Shadowmoon Wolf—his genetic offspring.

"To prevent my offspring from being sacrificed!"

Horu was internally screaming, wanting to say it all out loud, but the words finally came out: "Victory comes at a price."

He kept a straight face and tensed his neck to prevent his voice from trembling, resulting in a stiff tone: "Sacrifice is inevitable."

There was no direct response; it was still the same old theory of sacrifice and cost.

"Why is the price paid not by Shadowmoon Wolves, but by the Nineteenth Legion?"

Doom's jaw tightened, his gaze piercing Horus's averted eyes like a blade: "You have betrayed the Emperor's trust. If that brother returns one day, how will you face him?"

"Enough! You have no right to judge me!"

Upon hearing the word "Emperor," Horus roared in a low voice, as if he had violated some taboo.

Ruth immediately stood up from her chair, her beastly eyes fixed on Doom, keeping a close eye on his every move.

It wasn't that he changed his stance, but rather that Ruth felt that if a physical conflict broke out between the two sides, Doom would unilaterally beat Horus.

He must take precautions early to avoid escalating the conflict.

Doom raised his hand to Ruth, indicating that he didn't need to worry.

The two sides have conflicting views, but it's not enough to escalate to physical conflict. A momentary loss of emotional control is understandable.

"Brother, I won't admit the reason to you directly, but we both understand the reasons."

Horus rallied his spirits, took a few deep breaths, and gave his answer in a hoarse voice: "If it happened again, even if you were here, I would still use 'Greyclaw'."

"I cannot treat everyone equally, or send my own children to their deaths."

After hearing this, Doom hid his disappointment deep in his eyes and gently shook his head at Horus.

As brothers by blood, Horus would not admit his mistakes to his brother.

He was extremely stubborn, believing that what he was doing was to protect his genetic offspring.

"You have tarnished the Legion's honor."

Since things had come to this, Doom said no more, only regretfully saying, "You destroyed it with your own hands."

“I will take the Nineteenth Army with me and ask the War Council to plan their route so they can participate in the Great Expedition in another way.”

"Leverage your genetic advantages, await the return of the Father of Genetics, and cease to be your suicide squad."

After Doom finished speaking, he looked at the silent Horus: "You should be grateful."

"What are you glad about?" Horus looked up, expressionless.

"Fortunately, no major mistake was made."

“We will speak with you, because you are not the father of the Legion. If their genetic father were to return, how would he speak to you?”

"Mouth or fist?" Doom shook his head in disappointment and turned to leave the room.

Ruth rose to leave, nodding to Horus: "Horus, the wolves will despise the past glory of the Shadowmoon Wolves."

Then, following in Doom's footsteps, they departed for the Nineteenth Legion's deck, where they used his flagship to bring them back to Terra.

(I feel awful from this cold, I did my best today. I feel dizzy and lightheaded.)
I originally wanted to take a break, but after thinking it over, I decided to stick to updating.

(End of this chapter)