"Kaldor Draigo, what do you want to say?" Luka found a quiet place and looked at the silver-armored giant standing in front of him, guessing a bit of what he wanted to say.
However, as a Planetary Governor, Luka couldn't say such words. Even if no one knew, he didn't want to be the one to propose this suggestion.
Although he could understand that in a cesspit like the Warhammer World, everyone was forced to do things they didn't want to do, needing to abandon kindness and morality, Luka still hoped to uphold some bottom lines.
Even if he knew what Kaldor Draigo wanted to say, and knew that doing so was the most appropriate and best outcome.
Things did not go beyond Luka's expectations. Kaldor Draigo glanced at Luka and said, "This regiment has hidden dangers. I suggest you reorganize them into the Astra Militarum, and then have them serve the God-Emperor with loyalty."
Kaldor Draigo didn't spell it out, but his meaning was already clear.
There was only one way to serve the God-Emperor with loyalty.
"Where will they serve the God-Emperor with loyalty?" Luka didn't refuse but asked Kaldor Draigo for the specific arrangements.
After all, converting the Defense Force on the planet into the Astra Militarum could be counted as a tithe.
This was an honor and a reward for the Seventh Regiment.
And as the currency of the God-Emperor, becoming the Astra Militarum to serve the God-Emperor with loyalty was not without glory.
Although it sounded cruel, this was the Imperium of Man. From the Emperor himself to the lowest Hive City scavengers in the Imperium, everyone in the Imperium was sacrificing. Countless sacrifices had led to the Imperium's ten-thousand-year continuation.
Sacrifice was the cornerstone of the Imperium; this was not an empty word or some grand description, but a cruel truth soaked in the blood and tears of the Imperial populace.
"There's a suitable place, Cadia." Kaldor Draigo didn't want to be too ruthless. Strictly speaking, this unit had passed the God-Emperor's test, and their loyalty no longer needed to be doubted.
The main reason Kaldor Draigo did this was to eliminate the possibility of Chaos knowledge spreading.
After all, in Cadia, the casualties of the Astra Militarum had always been high. Every year, the Imperium would send hundreds of millions of Astra Militarum to participate in the nearly eternal war at the Cadian Gate.
Especially in recent years, everyone could feel the increasing activity of Chaos forces. Many important strongholds near Cadia had successively fallen, putting great pressure on the Imperium.
"Cadia? Cadia, ah..." Luka sighed. If possible, he didn't want his troops to be sent into that meat grinder, destined to be destroyed, for meaningless consumption.
But could he refuse Kaldor Draigo and save this unit?
Theoretically, of course, he could. As a Planetary Governor, he might not be able to refuse the 'conscription' of the Grey Knights, but as an Inquisitor, Luka could still save this unit.
However, similarly, as an Inquisitor, Luka was clearly aware of the potential consequences of saving this unit.
The memories of Chaos in their minds would become a source of corruption; this much was self-evident.
Even if the Emperor purified them of Chaos corruption, any knowledge, information, and records related to Chaos could lead to irreparable dire consequences.
So in the end, Luka could only sigh and say to Kaldor Draigo, "In that case, they will become the Astra Militarum Rostov First Regiment. I will need official attached Commissars."
Although the Astra Militarum establishment for Rostov had been decided long ago, Luka had been working on the establishment of the Astra Militarum for the past few years.
However, forming an Astra Militarum regiment was not a simple matter. Even with qualified personnel, weapons, equipment, and corresponding Astra Militarum adaptive training were indispensable.
As for Commissars, the Commissars of the Defense Force on Rostov II were only appointed by the former Planetary Governor himself.
Although they had initially received training from former official Astra Militarum Commissars, they still had a huge gap compared to truly qualified Imperial Commissars.
Therefore, whether soldiers or officers, the Rostov Defense Force still needed extensive training.
In fact, the Seventh Regiment was brought to the Starport for void combat adaptive training; garrisoning was just a side task.
Before them, several other regiments had also been brought up for training, but they hadn't encountered combat. They simply completed the prescribed training procedures and returned to the ground.
When encountering such a thing, it's hard to say whether the Seventh Regiment was unlucky or fortunate.
To say they were unlucky was because they were about to be thrown into Cadia to die, or even if not Cadia, they would be thrown into any other battlefield with an extremely high probability of their entire unit being annihilated.
Because this was Kaldor Draigo's purpose: to consume these 'coins' with hidden dangers through this method.
And to say they were lucky was not false, after all, being able to become true Astra Militarum before other Defense Force units, and being the first batch of Astra Militarum on Rostov, was indeed a rare honor.
Their families would also receive preferential treatment because of this, even becoming middle-class or even minor nobles on this planet.
For the citizens of the Imperium, their lives would undergo earth-shattering changes, perhaps even leading to a life that could be called 'human'.
This was also why in many Imperial Worlds, people knew that joining the Astra Militarum might mean not surviving 15 hours on the battlefield, or even never returning home in their lifetime, yet they still joined this glorious unit, becoming the currency of the God-Emperor, without hesitation.
Setting aside religious and political propaganda and other factors, one of the most crucial reasons was that becoming Astra Militarum meant making a name for oneself, and your family would receive care from the Imperium and live a good life.
"I will arrange the Commissars you need, and the super-heavy tanks and Valkyries that your planet lacks will also be equipped for them," Kaldor Draigo promised.
Although he couldn't interfere with the Department of Military Affairs, the people he knew could.
"Then thank you very much." Luka expressed his gratitude to Kaldor Draigo.
As an Inquisitor, he could, of course, acquire these things himself, but if someone was willing to help, why should he refuse?
Having settled this matter with Kaldor Draigo, Luka returned to the Starport dome. The Seventh Regiment's prayers were complete, and now their faces showed only resolve and fanaticism.
Today was an unforgettable and glorious day for them. Whether it was the fierce battle with the Chaos Warband, fighting alongside the Emperor's Angels, or the honor of receiving the God-Emperor's protection, these were things worth boasting about for a lifetime.
Luka felt a bit emotional. What these simple people needed was often this simple.
And now, it seemed he was about to send them to their deaths, yet they would be grateful for it, because in this World, it truly was the highest honor a mortal could attain.
"Seventh Regiment, from today onwards, you will be reorganized into the Astra Militarum Rostov First Regiment." Luka announced the news, and the cheers of the Seventh Regiment almost burst through the Starport's dome.
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The story doesn't end here 😉 The next chapter is already up on Patreon, you can read it here: [patreon.com/TripleCrown07]