Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 211 Punishment
Urian awoke from his slumber; his injuries had been healed.

He donned his robes and immediately set off, boarding a shuttle from the Unyielding Truth to the Royal Majesty.

The Grand Master knew that the war was over, but his guilt had not yet been judged.

He fabricated reasons to mobilize troops without authorization, leading the legion into an alien trap. If the Primarch had not arrived in time to rescue them, the First Legion might have suffered heavy losses.

On the brightly lit bridge, Doom dismissed the others and scrutinized the Grand Master.

His robust body was wrapped in coarse linen clothes, and his head was bowed, his expression hidden by his lowered head.

Doom held a parchment scroll of confession in his left hand, and the Grand Master took all the blame upon himself.

“Urian Bendreg,” he called the name of the kneeling man, his voice low and slow, “did you do all of this by yourself?”

His eyes, narrowed and sharp, were like blades, cutting through the great mentor's flesh and bones to examine his heart.

Urian felt naked; in the Primarch's gaze, there were no secrets he could conceal.

Nevertheless, the person in charge of the First Legion, with his neck stiff, said in a low voice, "I did it all by myself."

As he spoke, his body stiffened involuntarily, and he clenched his fist slightly to conceal the trembling in his heart.

The Grand Master, who was used to concealing his emotions, appeared clumsy and inept at lying to the Primarch.

"Heh." A cold, merciless laugh came from the throne.

The Primarch chuckled softly, clearly amused.

Hearing the emotionless laughter, the Grand Master lowered his head even further, his strong body tensing up, not daring to reveal the slightest emotion.

He knew very well that his lies were childish and ridiculous in the Primarch's eyes, and that the Primarch saw through them the moment he uttered them.

But Urian chose to conceal this not to deceive the Primarch, but to make a statement—

The Grand Master of the First Legion was willing to take the blame alone.

Doom was not angry about the deliberate concealment; he continued to ask, "Who is the mastermind behind the plot to seize military power and mobilize troops without authorization?"

“It was me,” Urian answered quickly. “In order to gain temporary authority over the army, I had the Legion warships disguised as Randan ships and infiltrate the Shana system.”

This time, he answered quickly, without any hesitation.

Doom nodded on his throne, not noticing the lie in the Grand Master's physical changes.

It seems that the plan to seize power was indeed spearheaded by the Grand Master.

After thinking for a moment, Doom finally spoke softly, "Then I'll take it as something you did alone."

Upon hearing the Primarch's words, Urian lowered his head even further, inwardly relieved, and his tone immediately became more relaxed: "Thank you for your mercy, great son of the Emperor, Primarch."

"When you act alone." These words, spoken by the Primarch, signify that he will no longer pursue the matter further.

I will bear all the sins and faults myself.

The First Legion's glory will not be tarnished by this transgression.

“No. I think you’ve misunderstood.” Doom’s voice sent a chill down Urian’s spine, and the worry that had been set aside was now on his mind again.

"You will be punished, relieved of your duties as Grand Master, and a suitable successor will be chosen. Then you will stand guard in the Morse system, on the verge of another attack by Randan."

"Save your life and reflect on your mistakes. Atone for the sins of those fallen soldiers who paid with their lives for your selfish desires."

A majestic voice delivered the verdict; this was not a courtroom, but the Primarch's words carried more authority than any court.

Urian had no objection to his punishment and even thanked the Primarch for his mercy.

Instead of destroying his sinful body, he spared his life, allowing the rest of his days to continue shining brightly.

“Thank you for your kindness.” Urian’s voice was full of gratitude, thanking the Primarch for his magnanimity.

The Uri Security Department accepted this personal punishment, and he will be convicted and sent to guard the Morse system.

"As for the First Legion..." Doom hesitated slightly as he spoke.

Although he had the power to punish the First Legion, he was never the father of the Legion's genes.

The Primarch's hesitation made Urian tremble; the fate of the Legion was far more important than his personal safety.

The Grand Master was willing to die ten thousand times in exchange for a lighter punishment from the First Legion.

After careful consideration, Doom announced the punishment for the First Legion: "The First Legion shall travel to Shana and remain in the Forging World for two years, during which time they shall not participate in the Great Expedition."

"Two years is enough time for you to repair your ships, and also enough time for you to rest and reflect on whether the Legion has gone astray." "The First Legion was once the most glorious legion, but you know its current situation better than I do. Your excessive pursuit of glory has led you astray from the true path of glory."

"I will declare to the outside world that the First Legion is recuperating from the wounds of battle. To you internally, it is a suspension to reflect on your mistakes."

After recounting the punishment of the First Legion, Doom turned to the Grand Master; "Urian Bendreg, do you have any objections?"

“Absolutely no objection.” Urian knelt down, bowed deeply, and shouted, “Thank you again for your mercy, which has allowed the First Legion to save face.”

His words were sincere, and a great weight was finally lifted from my heart.

The Primarch's punishment was comprehensive, both internal and external, giving the Legion disciplinary action while preserving its dignity.

Keeping the legion from participating in the Great Expedition for two years is roughly the time needed to repair the warships, which should indeed allow the legion to rest.

Before assuming the role of Grand Master, Urian was aware of the various problems within the Legion.

It's time for the Legion to stop, for its warriors to reflect on themselves, and for them to leave the vortex of error.

"You may leave. Let the First Legion reflect on its actions." Doom waved his hand, dismissing Urian.

Urian rose from the floor, bowed, and slowly retreated.

“You are still too merciful,” Ruth said slowly as the secret chamber behind the throne opened after Urian left.
“If they dare to fool me like this, I will throw every single one of the First Legion’s high command into the Fenris Icefield to feed the wolves.”

Although he said this, Ruth's words and actions showed respect.

He arrived at the Royal Majesty early, but not wanting to embarrass the Grand Tutor, he hid in a secret room.

Doom shook his head: "Urian lives with guilt over his brothers. The First Legion has been restrained, its conquest for honor has ceased, and it is reflecting on its mistakes."

“Let’s go.” He stood up and looked at Ruth, inviting his brother to the garden deck: “Let’s go and taste Nur’s fine wine.”

“Let’s go, let’s go.” Ruth grabbed Doom’s arm and affectionately pulled his brother away from the bridge: “I can’t wait any longer.”

The two walked side by side through the bright and simple corridor and took the elevator to the garden deck.

“Your ship is indeed better than mine.” Throughout the journey, Russ marveled, his golden beast eyes scrutinizing the decorations of the Royal Majesty.

This Glory Queen-class warship has undergone a complete transformation. Its passageways are exceptionally wide and are always bathed in soft light. Various sophisticated high-tech devices and different types of robots move about, maintaining the ship's normal operation.

In contrast, the Imperial warships appeared lifeless, with countless steel beams and pipes, and relatively cramped and narrow corridors.

Doom quickly shook his head, modestly pointing out the difference between the two: "It's just a difference in style; the Herafnkel has a strong Fenris aesthetic."

“That’s true.” Ruth smiled, a smirk playing on her lips.

A son doesn't despise his mother for being ugly, and a dog doesn't despise his home for being poor. Fenris is his home planet, and also his pride.

“However,” Doom’s expression turned serious, “you want to do some artillery upgrades so that the fleet can go to Nur.”

He was very grateful for Ruth's help and naturally wanted to return the favor.

"Really?" Russ's golden beast eyes gleamed; he had long coveted the weapon systems of the Nur ship.

Nur's weapons not only have a long range, but their power far surpasses that of similar imperial weapons.

If used in the Space Wolf Fleet, its firepower would be more than doubled.

It effectively enhances the fleet's combat capabilities and provides significant assistance to expeditions.

“Really!” Doom replied affirmatively, never stingy with his reward.

"Good! Good! Good!" Ruth grinned broadly, patting Doom on the back with one hand and saying "good" three times in a row.

"The fleet is severely damaged. I will not go to the Forge World for repairs. Instead, I will head to the Nur Star System to upgrade the fleet's firepower and repair the fleet while I'm at it."

“Once this matter is settled, we can go together.” Doom nodded in agreement. The First Fleet had suffered severe damage and needed to return to port to repair and resupply its ships.

Ruth was overjoyed, put his arm around Doom's shoulder, and grinned, revealing his sharp teeth.

Although the losses were considerable, the gains from coming to provide assistance were also enormous.

Not only did they wipe out the alien fleet and gain immense honor, but they also significantly enhanced the fleet's combat capabilities.

Looking back now, the sacrifice of offspring was worthwhile.

With the aid of Nur's weapons, more wolf cubs will be able to survive in future battles.

(End of this chapter)