Chapter 374: Death Will Not Be in Vain
Dawn broke, gilding the ramps of the starport with golden light.
Crossing the distance dictated by efficiency and safety, Arthur and Ramesses stood before the welcoming party.
Daylight in space was brighter, allowing the observers to see the brilliance of the newcomers, and the newcomers to see every face clearly.
Behind Huron stood the veterans of the Ghoul Stars Expedition.
Though their armor still gleamed, years of rest and refit having restored these superhuman warriors to peak condition, the cracks carved into their souls by war were visible in their eyes.
Just meeting their gazes, Arthur could feel the brutality of the war they had endured.
He had already received a brief report.
The battle was over. The invasion launched by the Slaugth, affecting dozens of star systems, was halted at the edge of the Astronomican's light. When manpower was critically low, the Carcharodons relied on ancient covenants to secure the assistance of the Ashen Claws. Under the overwhelming offensive of the Slaugth, the Space Sharks were reduced to only four companies.
Thanks to supplies from the Dawnstar Sector and the suggestion of Chief Librarian Te Kahurangi, the Carcharodons expanded to thirteen companies, each with one hundred and thirty marines. The Chapter size broke the Codex Astartes limit, maintaining over one thousand six hundred marines for a long time, avoiding annihilation.
The other two Chapters were slightly better off, but only slightly.
The Lamenters had few numbers to begin with, so although the casualty rate was high, the absolute number wasn't large. The Ashen Claws were only helping, and Tyberos couldn't throw the hardest battles at them. Although they still suffered heavy losses and their flagship was severely damaged, they were essentially crippled.
No one knew how they survived this conflict.
But it was finally over.
Hundreds of billions of Slaugth were annihilated, their petty empire beyond the Astronomican completely destroyed.
At the cost of nearly three thousand Astartes, the lives of over ten Astra Militarum regiments, and more than ten escort fleets and a few capital ships.
Even in Imperial records, examples of so many military forces falling in such a short time were rare.
However, in exchange, the Imperial frontier gained peace for decades or even centuries. The large-scale xenos invasion that would have occurred in the galactic north, coinciding with the Tyranid Hive Fleets, spanning from the Calixis Sector to the Orpheus Sector, would no longer exist. Humanity could focus on fighting the incoming Hive Fleet Leviathan.
A possible stable wormhole connecting the Maelstrom and the Ghoul Stars appeared even when Ramesses and the others had no clue.
The voluntary return of an Astartes Great Company...
As the fleet entered the system, information that they dared not exchange via astropathic communication due to security and metaphysical concerns was transmitted through the cogitator arrays. The gains brought back by these warriors fighting on the frontier were so immense that for a moment, they were hard to summarize.
Most importantly, this was a great victory achieved without the direct intervention of the Dawnbreakers. They finally influenced historical developments beyond their own line of sight.
This feedback made Arthur clench his fist involuntarily.
He was now no less powerful than any Daemon Primarch, and so were the warriors of humanity.
Without their personal intervention, these warriors could still achieve victory.
But the road was still long.
He quickly put away his pride, looking levelly at the giant, the paladin, and a stranger before him.
"This was not easy."
Arthur walked up, narrowing his eyes, bathed in the morning light.
Huron consciously stepped aside; now was not the time for him to steal the spotlight.
During this time, the Carcharodons, Lamenters, and Ashen Claws were all very depressed. These warriors who had won the war found it difficult to estimate their value, drowning in sorrow and anxiety due to huge losses.
These warriors, grown in extreme environments, were accustomed to sacrifice, but for some reason, they cared deeply about the outcome of this campaign.
No matter how Huron comforted them, they were waiting for a result.
"My lord!"
Tyberos stepped forward, his massive frame level with Arthur's.
Sharr was seriously injured; the biological toxins of the Slaugth were terrifying. A year later, he was still in a stasis tank for cellular repair. Te Kahurangi had been dead for a long time, his soul residing within his Sus-an Membrane. Even trained Apothecaries didn't know how to deal with it.
The Ashen Claws he called for help also suffered heavy losses; a pile of people died, and many irreplaceable warships were lost.
Fortunately, Huron had developed well, giving these victorious warriors the treatment they deserved, allowing them to lick their wounds in peace, ready to serve humanity again at any time.
"On behalf of the Dawnstar Sector government, I thank you."
Arthur unslung the Black Sword and planted it solemnly before him.
"You have won hard-earned peace for countless star systems. Your sacrifice will buy humanity more time. We will cherish this hard-won time; it will give us more strength in the future. And you—"
"You are heroes, worthy of the name."
He spoke slowly and solemnly, and the warriors accepted it calmly.
Ramesses moved his lips, wanting to offer praise, but fearing it would turn into a dark joke, he held back.
This was not an impromptu performance, but genuine pride in them.
"..."
Tyberos's perpetually cold gaze fluctuated slightly.
Although the Carcharodons suffered heavy losses in this operation, apart from deeply realizing the intensity of the Lamenters' curse and resenting the changes brought by these cousins, they had no other thoughts.
Death is normal. For Astartes like them, death is constant. As a Chapter detached from base desires, they respected the fallen but did not wallow in mourning.
Nothing to be sad about. Many more will die on this path, and death will continue in the future.
The Sharks didn't care. Even the brutal Ashen Claws said these people were like pure killing machines, caring about nothing but slaughter.
But now, finally, someone could utilize these sacrifices. Finally, someone could affirm their sacrifices, instead of taking it all for granted.
Everyone present froze, then raised their right arms in unison, slamming their fists onto their left chest plates. The sound of metal colliding echoed in the solemn hall. Sunlight streamed through the stained glass high above, casting dappled shadows on their armor.
Birds far from home, returning in glory.
The emblems on their chest plates reflected the sun's glint, trembling slightly with the rotation of the starport. The hardships of the expedition seemed washed away. Suppressed breathing came from the crowd. On those faces etched with indelible marks of war, expressions of relief finally appeared.
That dedication was finally recognized; this life finally had a return.
No one would fail them, and they had failed no one.
Tyberos let out a long breath.
Fortunate!
And weren't we the same?
Arthur looked around, vaguely capturing a few familiar faces.
Back then, on a whim, fueled by hot blood, they connected with the Sharks, fought their way out, and embarked on the journey.
At that time, they only had a few makeshift fleets. Now, just a detachment of a sector cast a continuous shadow on low orbit.
Along the way, they saw thousands of mortal postures, countless human sacrifices, witnessed the tyranny of the swarm, drank with heroes, and battled wits and courage with the monsters of the warp.
Look at now.
Under the dome, thousands of indicator lights lit up simultaneously, illuminating the entire base like day. The readiness signals of various fleets came through the comms channel, electronic sounds rising and falling in the huge space.
Surrounded by soldiers armed to the teeth.
They stood silently, artificer power armor reflecting the sunlight, eyes behind visors all looking in the same direction.
Iron horses and gold spears, under the gaze of thousands.
☆☆☆
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 400 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you