Chapter 359: Hmm? Why is There an Extra Person?
After landing, the Night Sentinels, Raiders, and Ultramarines forcefully began to take over the security of the surrounding area. The patriarchs could only watch as their private armies were forcibly disarmed. The expressions on the faces of the three house leaders were not good.
"Great Regent, Lord Lucan... is this behavior truly appropriate?" Ovid couldn't help but speak up. "They are also soldiers loyal to the Emperor and the Imperium!"
"Patriarch Ovid," Lucan said with undisguised mockery, "this is for the safety of Lord Guilliman and myself. You don't actually think your private army is capable of protecting the great Regent and a High Lord, do you? Your soldiers may have undergone some gene-enhancement, but in the end, they are just mercenaries."
This mockery left the three patriarchs with no way to retort.
Pacini glanced at Ovid, signaling him to drop the issue. In his mind, once the two of them entered their palace, someone would take care of these Astartes and Night Sentinels.
"Very well," Ovid conceded. "Please, follow us. The other Navigator patriarchs are already waiting in the conference room for your arrival. However, Lord Guilliman, Lord Lucan, please allow us to retain a certain number of our personal guard within the palace. We also need the strength to protect ourselves... The Emperor's Angels can protect the smooth running of this meeting alongside them!" Ovid made his final request.
"Alright, Ovid," Guilliman agreed. "I will allow you to retain a certain number of armed guards, but my Ultramarines will conduct the security work alongside them. Lead the way."
Guilliman did not refuse. The number of remaining private soldiers was not enough to pose a threat to his Ultramarines, and doing this would help to keep the Navigators calm.
Led by the three patriarchs, Guilliman and Lucan, surrounded by a host of guards, arrived at a magnificent conference room. The table was laden with a sumptuous feast and fine wines. A dozen or so Navigator patriarchs all stood up when the two entered. They all looked nervously at Lucan and Guilliman, waiting for the Regent to announce the reason for this summons.
"Great Primarch," Ovid began, his voice both humble and expectant, "the patriarchs of every notable Navigator House in the Calixis Sector and the Koronus Expanse have all come here at your request. We are all very curious about the reason for this summons. Please, tell us why you have called us here."
He looked at Guilliman with hopeful eyes, still clinging to the idea that this was to avoid unnecessary conflict.
But Guilliman did not answer. Instead, he looked at Lucan. The two of them seemed to be waiting for something. Following Guilliman's gaze, everyone's eyes also turned to Lucan.
Lucan, in turn, scanned every person present, confirming that everyone who was supposed to attend the meeting had arrived.
"One... two... three... seems like everyone's here... hmm? Wait... who is this person?"
Lucan looked at the faces of the crowd and counted the numbers... and found that there was an extra person who shouldn't have been there.
"Ovid, who is this person?" Lucan pointed directly at the man.
Ovid followed the direction of his finger. He had been so focused on Guilliman and Lucan that he, too, had not noticed that there was someone in this conference room who was not on the list. Looking at the hooded man, Ovid was also baffled. He glanced at Pacini, assuming that this was the person Pacini had arranged from House D'Kaeth to make a move. He had thought Pacini would hide him in the shadows. To place an Imperial traitor so blatantly in front of the Regent and a High Lord... wasn't that a bit too much? Ovid couldn't understand how Pacini had dared to bring him in now.
For a moment, Ovid was speechless, not knowing how to explain. He looked at Pacini, but Pacini gave no response.
The person who had been pointed out kept his face hidden under his hood and had not said a single word from beginning to end.
Looking at the silent crowd, Lucan couldn't be bothered to get to the bottom of it. It didn't matter who he was. He would just have him infested, and then he would know everything. He knew these Navigators would not just give up without a fight. They were bound to have some tricks up their sleeves. These Navigator Houses had survived in the Imperium for so long; how could they be so naive? Every one of them who had survived to this day was an old fox.
"Forget it. No point dwelling on it," Lucan said, his voice flat. "Guilliman, do it."
Hearing Lucan's words, Guilliman gave his own command.
Outside, the Ultramarines and the Night Sentinels simultaneously attacked the Navigators' remaining private army. At the same time, several Raiders began to quickly transport two large containment units from the landed gunships toward the palace. Inside the containers were the Zerg Infestors.
Hearing the sound of gunfire from outside and Lucan's words, the faces of the Navigator patriarchs changed dramatically. They all knew that things were clearly developing in the direction they had least wanted.
"Lord Guilliman! Lord Lucan! What are you trying to do?!" Ovid couldn't help but shout, watching as Astartes and Night Sentinels broke through the doors and tried to control them. The current situation had shattered his last illusion.
"Ovid, everything is for the Imperium," Guilliman said coldly, his expression turning harsh. "Everyone, stay where you are and do not move!"
Although the Navigators before him may have once been loyal, by attempting to blackmail the Imperium for their own private gain, they had already committed a capital crime. Controlling them was the best outcome for the entire Imperium.
Guilliman also drew his own Emperor's Sword. The longsword, blazing with holy fire, made everyone present shrink back in fear.
The moment the Emperor's Sword was drawn, the hooded man looked up in surprise. And the man under the hood was Fletcher. The moment he saw the Emperor's Sword, a look of desire appeared in his eyes. This weapon, which combined the most advanced technology of humanity with the Emperor's understanding of psionic power, was enough to tempt anyone. The fact that it could permanently kill a daemon was proof that it was a product of the pinnacle of psychic technology. For someone like him, who was walking the path of psychic ascension, it held a huge allure.
The Emperor's Sword also made Fletcher hesitate to act immediately. He could not guarantee that he could withstand this weapon. He was waiting for an opportunity, waiting for the arrival of Komus to draw their attention away.
Coming in with the Night Sentinels and the Ultramarines were ten Artificial Blanks. Lucan watched everything from the side. The Navigators who tried to resist with their psychic powers were immediately suppressed by these Artificial Blanks. Although their psychic powers were decent, the Blanks were simply too much of a counter for them. The amount of psychic energy these artificial nulls could absorb was enough to suppress them.
Fletcher, who had looked up in surprise at the Emperor's Sword, had revealed his face to Lucan. He looked nothing like a Navigator; his eyes were still like those of an ordinary mortal. The appearance of a non-Navigator in this meeting was, in itself, extremely abnormal.
"Quick! Get that man under control first!" Lucan ordered.
But as one of the Blanks, along with a Night Sentinel and an Ultramarine, tried to move up and restrain the hooded man, a sudden change occurred...