Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 272 The Steel Hand
The sound was deep and hoarse, like iron filings rubbing together, or like a warhammer honed through countless trials, striking the heavy earth.

Upon hearing the greeting, Doom's expression instantly changed from surprise to delight; he truly hadn't expected to meet his brother in the starry sky.

Since parting ways with Terra, he had not seen Feralus Marus for a long time, only hearing rumors about the Iron Hand in the starry sky.

Since the Primarch's return, the Stormwalker Legion has renamed itself the "Iron Hand," established Medusa as its homeworld, and begun recruitment.

The Steel Hand, having undergone a cultural transformation under Medusa's influence, embarks on a great expedition through the Void, personally led by Feralus.

Under the Primarch's leadership, the Legion unleashed tremendous fighting power, achieving remarkable conquests and receiving numerous accolades from the Emperor himself.

Many busybodies have even suggested that if the empire were to elect a new "war commander" to lead the entire army, Ferrus would have a chance to compete for the position.

Although it was just a rumor, it wasn't entirely unfounded, which speaks volumes about Feralus's military leadership abilities.

Doom was overjoyed to be reunited with his brother. He rose from his throne and said in a deep, resonant voice, "I never expected that you would come to my aid in person."

He really didn't expect his brother to come to his aid.

It was indeed the Iron Hand Legion that came to provide support, but the communications never mentioned that Felus himself had come.

In the void, the light of the subspace kept flashing, and a fleet of extremely large size, whose combat power could be felt just by looking at its aura, leaped in.

"Has my arrival disrupted your strategic plans?" A holographic image appeared, showing a giant wearing special power armor, carrying a fire backpack, and wielding a Furnacebreaker warhammer.

He had short hair, looked energetic, and his square face, which was originally serious, now showed a slight smile, making him appear kind, gentle, and reassuring.

“If you don’t welcome me,” Felus saw his brother’s astonishment in the holographic image, his smile vanished, and he deliberately put on a stern face and said unhappily, “then I’ll leave.”

The Primarch's greeting echoed through the communications, and everyone knew he was joking with his brother in his own way.

The Primarch came all the way from beyond the stars, his main purpose being to help his brother. How could he just leave like that?

The Primarch's joking words surprised the Iron Hand warriors, revealing another side of him—a gentleness hidden beneath his serious exterior, a side never before shown to the Legion warriors.

Feralus Marus, the father of the Legion.

He was meticulous in his military discipline, and in a very short time, he forged the legion into an indestructible warhammer to smash against the enemies of mankind.

The Primarch reorganized the Legion into "Clans" to better fit the Medusa culture, allowing clans to compete with each other and maintain a high level of combat effectiveness.

As a source of power, the Primarch has never laughed within the Legion, let alone made any jokes.

Even when praising a clan or affirming a particular offspring, he never smiled; his words were inspiring, but his face was always serious.

The Legion warriors could now feel the excitement emanating from the Father of Genetics, and the joy of reuniting with his brothers.

"Then you can leave..." Doom waved his hand dismissively, making Feralus frown and feel awkward.

But the next sentence instantly enlivened the atmosphere between the two Primarchs.

He looked very serious and said in a low voice, "You can leave at any time, but Nur doesn't provide fuel for the return trip. You'll have to ask Makado for reimbursement."

Ferrus paused for a moment, then saw the serious expression on his brother's face, coupled with his humorous words, before breaking into a bright smile.

"Hahaha!"

The Primarch's hearty laughter was loud and clear, like an ancient horn resounding through the starry sky, making people's eardrums throb.

The two Primarchs, the great offspring of the Emperor, laughed heartily at each other's jokes, bringing them closer together.

"I'll come see you right away." Feralus's face was full of ease; he hadn't laughed like this in a long time, and sometimes he'd forgotten how to smile.

Now that he has met his brother, as a guest, he must take the initiative to go over and show the host the respect he deserves.

“I’ve prepared a feast, and I look forward to your arrival for drinks and conversation.” Doom readily agreed, smiling as he prepared to depart: “I’ll come and fetch you.”

The two nodded to each other, severed the holographic communication, and, no longer satisfied with audiovisual communication, prepared to communicate face-to-face. "My lord."

Just as Doom was about to leave the bridge to greet Felus, he was stopped by a rational and gentle voice, and Sophia's figure appeared gracefully.

He stopped, his brow furrowed, and looked at his digital assistant with a puzzled expression.

"The Shaping Alliance has sent a communication." Sophia spoke steadily and clearly, describing the event in simple terms: "A large fleet has appeared in the void. They are terrified and hope to get a reasonable explanation from you."

Doom nodded slightly. The aliens' fear was understandable, and they did need to be reassured. It was not the right time to take action yet.

He pondered for a moment, then instructed Sophia, "Tell the truth. Tell the alien that it is my brother who was passing through here and came specifically to meet me."

For a race on the verge of extinction, Doom showed great generosity, telling them half the truth as a final requiem.

In a sense, there is no doubt that Feralus did come to visit him.

After finishing his business and giving his orders, Doom strode out of the bridge to the airstrip to personally welcome his brother aboard and give him a warm welcome.

The elevators on the Royal Majesty are extremely fast, taking only a few minutes to descend from the bridge to the helipad.

As Doom stepped out of the elevator, service robots laid out a red carpet, with Night Watchers and Doomsday Warriors each holding a battle flag, standing on either side of the carpet.

The most eye-catching figures present were the Imperial Guards, whose armor gleamed with gold, standing majestically at the end of the procession with one hand on their hip and the other holding a long halberd.

The Emperor never mentioned withdrawing his bodyguards, tacitly allowing them to remain with Doom.

The Royal Guards understood the profound mission bestowed upon them by the Lord of Mankind, and thus remained safely aboard the Royal Majesty, obeying the orders of the King of Warriors.

They set aside their imperial arrogance and actively integrated into the Royal Majesty warship community, participating in various tasks.

Their presence was naturally indispensable in ceremonial processions and welcoming ceremonies; the Imperial Guard soldiers thoroughly enjoyed the activities that showcased the majesty of the Lord of Mankind.

On the helipad, three completely different and powerful warriors from across the galaxy formed a majestic honor guard, showcasing Nur's inclusiveness.

Doom stood at the end of the red carpet, his eyes closed as he waited for Firus. His mind was still planning the details of the war, striving to do everything meticulously, making the first battle the decisive one, and completely annihilating the Ghanaian worms in one war.

After several hours of waiting, the flagship of the Steel Hand, the Iron Fist, entered the galaxy from the edge of the galaxy via a short-distance intergalactic jump.

The Iron Fist, a Glory Queen-class battleship, was built on the moon and incorporated the design concepts of Ferrus.

Her ship is long and slender. Behind the upper deck is a city in the style of Medusa. The ship has huge portholes and huge glass curtain walls. On both sides of the rear of the ship, there are circular emblems with a steel hand carved on them.

The forward section of the upper deck features several magnificent rotating weapon platforms with expansive hemispherical firing views. Along the sides of the warship are numerous high-powered weapons, designed by the Primarch, a master of manufacturing and a proponent of science, whose power far surpasses that of many of the Empire's current active-duty equipment.

The upper part of the bow is equipped with a ram, which is designed to resemble an eagle spreading its wings, symbolizing the glory of the empire, while the huge eagle beak is the most striking part.

Because Ferrus was passionate about forging, the lower deck of the Ironfist housed an advanced forging workshop for the Primarch to forge weapons.

The Iron Fist completed its short-distance jump, adjusted its attitude, and entered planetary orbit, running parallel to the Royal Majesty for easy travel.

The people on the planet saw another star appear in the night sky, and a powerful warship of the human empire entered the planet's high orbit.

The imposing presence of the warships pressed down on every nerve tendril of the Ghana worms, instilling a deep sense of fear in the alien creatures that parasitize humans.

The human empire is rich in martial virtue, and the firepower of this type of warship is beyond doubt. A single ship is enough to destroy a world!
Two Glory Queen-class warships sailed side by side. They were completely different sisters, just like the two Primarchs. They had different thoughts and cultures, but were the closest blood brothers.

The Iron Fist released its shuttle, which passed through the protective force field bubble and came to a steady stop in front of the laid-out red carpet, opening the cabin's airtight door.

Pfft~~
As the air pressure valve released the pressure, Doom's lips slowly curled up, his eyes filled with anticipation.

A towering giant, carrying a warhammer and followed by his honor guard, stepped out of the shuttle.

With a smile on his face, Felus nodded steadily to his brother, then stepped onto the red carpet in his power armor boots.

This is their first meeting in the stars since Terra left, a moment worth remembering!
(End of this chapter)