The final loss report for the unexpected incident of the Fifth Fleet was delivered into the hands of Alex and Guilliman.
In this incident, including the Flaming Embrace, a total of six large ships were completely destroyed.
Seventeen other ships sustained severe damage and had to return to port for repairs.
The star fortress and orbital platform in Uranus's orbit were damaged.
The planetary defense network was forced to activate, using lasers and missiles to destroy debris to prevent secondary damage.
In addition to the loss of ships and space stations, there were also personnel losses.
Three companies of White Consul Primaris Space Marine.
Fifteen regiments of Cestian Skirmishers.
Fifty-seven Knight Mechs from the Taranis family.
Furthermore, a large number of crew members, such as sailors, Mechanical Priest, navigators, and Astropaths, were lost.
At that time, the Flaming Embrace was fully crewed and equipped, just waiting for the final inspection to be completed before it could set off on the expedition.
But then this happened.
Such losses, in the past, could have organized a small-scale expedition.
Senior General Tura Prasorius, the overall commander of the Fifth Fleet, the Adeptus Mechanicus involved in the matter, and Inquisitor Galen, who was responsible for investigating the incident, were summoned by Guilliman.
"Fleet Commander, do you have anything to say?" Guilliman looked at Prasorius.
The Fleet Commander was very fat, with layers of flesh piled up on his neck.
One of his eyes had been replaced by a bionic eye, and thought-splitting and amplification implants were embedded behind his head.
These were used to enhance his thinking and analysis abilities.
"I apologize for this accident, Primarch."
Prasorius's tone was sincere.
"But this was an act of sabotage. I have done my best to screen and control, but the enemy is far more cunning than we imagined."
"The source of the accident was that personnel in the conventional power engine room received incorrect orders to perform an engine ignition test."
"As soon as it ignited, an unconfined plasma pulse cut into a chamber that was being filled with reactor fuel."
"If the fuel chamber had been full or empty, there would have been no danger."
"But it was half-filled, with a large amount of atmospheric mixture still inside. When the plasma flow penetrated the chamber, a large explosion occurred."
"Immediately after, the main reactor's plasma regulation system was damaged by incorrect code, preventing it from venting pressure in time, which led to the reactor being affected and an uncontrolled fusion reaction erupting."
"The chain explosion impacted the Warp engine, which was undergoing maintenance and operating in a low-frequency range."
"The Warp engine was detonated, tearing open a rift of astonishing scale, causing this heavily damaging incident."
"In this accident, if any one link had been broken, such severe losses would not have occurred; at most, only one ship would have been incapacitated."
"According to the post-incident investigation, all these explosive areas had Mechanical Priest conducting inspections, but the people responsible for starting were unaware; they received incorrect reports, believing the maintenance was complete."
Guilliman looked at the Adeptus Mechanicus and received affirmative replies from them.
Then, the Primarch looked at Inquisitor Galen.
"What are the Inquisition's investigation results?"
"We are investigating along the limited clues, which may take a long time." Galen, a strong man with half a metal face implanted and wearing a cloak, stepped forward to report to Guilliman.
"Before the explosion of the Flaming Embrace, multiple individuals had altered the shift patterns. Preliminary judgment suggests our enemy caused the massive explosion of the Flaming Embrace through a series of man-made accidents, thereby delaying the assembly speed of the Fifth Fleet."
"I suspect this incident involves multiple departments…"
Guilliman's hand, as the Inquisitor spoke, constantly clenched and unclenched.
An indescribable anger accumulated in the Primarch's heart, but he could not show it in front of these people.
After Galen and the others left, he no longer suppressed the anger in his heart, furiously slamming his desk.
The last shred of hope in his heart vanished with the investigation report provided by the Inquisitor.
The Fifth Fleet's accident was a blatant man-made disaster.
"Such a huge loss, how dare those guys?"
Guilliman paced back and forth, so angry that he wished he could immediately catch the mastermind and smash their heads in.
After a long while, he finally suppressed the anger in his heart and looked at Alex.
"We must speed up, Saint."
"We cannot delay any longer. Those damned bureaucrats deserve to die; they have severely crossed the line."
"No matter how they struggle, the overall interests of humanity should be prioritized, but now they are all crazy."
"I originally wanted to give them a dignified exit, but now it's not needed. A thorough investigation is necessary, and we must strike hard."
Alex nodded, agreeing with Guilliman's suggestion.
"Then let's speed it up."
"You go on the expedition, and then I will take over Terra and begin the purge."
Reform also requires skill.
If one were to relentlessly pressure those with vested interests, it would inevitably make them desperate, ultimately choosing to fight to the death.
In this case, the cost of reform would be too great.
As the art of war says, "Besiege a city, but leave an escape route."
This means leaving a false opening for surrounded enemies.
The purpose of this is to give the enemy a glimmer of hope, thereby making them think of fleeing and losing their determination to fight to the death.
This reform, involving many forces, is also like this.
A seemingly viable path must be left for those bureaucrats to prevent them from fighting to the death and causing greater casualties to the Imperium.
Guilliman, who was setting off on the expedition, was the 'way out' for those bureaucrats.
The Primarch's original intention was good, but it was all ruined by that 'damned Saint' during execution.
"I am now summoning Jack, the Imperial Regent. She has just taken office and can help you better control the current Terra Council," Guilliman said.
"The rest is up to you, Saint."
...
The incident of the Flaming Embrace of the Fifth Fleet being damaged caused a sensation among all levels of the Imperium.
Even though the news was immediately sealed off, and gag orders were issued to relevant personnel, with the Inquisition screening for leakers,
countless rumors still spread privately.
After all, the casualties caused by this incident were too exaggerated.
The dead and injured numbered in the millions.
The economic losses were immeasurable.
The Indomitus Crusade, before it even officially began, was already shrouded in gloom.
Jack, who succeeded Tyreen as the new Imperial Regent,
was even more restless over this matter.
This young Imperial Regent was the assistant to the former Imperial Regent, Tyreen.
After Guilliman's return, Tyreen collapsed at his post due to overwork.
Tyreen, the former Imperial Regent, had lived for over 200 standard Terra years.
He had personally seen off two wives, and his children, who entered the Ministry of Interior, passed away before him, returning to the Emperor's Golden Throne.
He had served as Imperial Regent for eighty years, and could be said to be the backbone of the Imperium.
Before the Great Raider launched the 13th Black Crusade, Tyreen had always been committed to reform.
He wanted the Custodes to leave the Imperial Palace and support humanity in various battlefields across the galaxy, especially the Cadia battlefield.
He once stated that if the Custodes participated in the defense of Cadia, that place could be better defended.
Tyreen had repeatedly advised the High Lord of Terra, urging them to attach great importance to Cadia.
It was a pity that Terra's political struggles were too complex, and their reaction speed to crises was very slow.
Moreover, many people could not imagine that the Great Raider could actually break through Cadia Fortress.
After all, for ten thousand years, the traitors who had fallen into darkness had launched twelve bloody crusades, all of which were beaten back by the loyalists of the Imperium.
They naively believed that even if those traitors fought for another ten thousand years, nothing would change.
Tyreen was among the first in Terra to realize that human civilization was in peril.
To defend Cadia Fortress, he, as Imperial Regent, gave many green lights to the generals related to Cadia.
He had various sectors mobilize resources and troops for them, requesting Warbands from all over to provide support.
It can be said that Tyreen was instrumental in the Imperial forces' ability to deploy such a large number of troops in the Battle of Cadia.
Besides these, Tyreen also persuaded the Custodian Guard Commander, Senior General Tura Valorius,
to send people to retrieve Sisters of Silences from various locations and hoped that he would participate in the meeting to vote on and pass the unbanning act,
allowing the Custodian Guard to leave the Imperial Palace.
Unfortunately, just as the meeting was being held to vote on whether to let the Custodian Guard leave the Imperial Palace,
the news of Cadia's fall reached Terra.
Soon after, the Astronomican went out, causing the Blindness Day incident.
A series of events overwhelmed the already aging Tyreen,
and he passed away not long after the Primarch returned.
Subsequently, Guilliman ordered Jack to assume the position of Imperial Prime Minister.
From the moment she was born, Jack was trained to be a part of the Imperial administrative machine.
She quickly got the hang of it, but always felt she wasn't doing well enough.
Many people might think that Terra's bureaucracy is bloated and incompetent,
but only those within it truly know how fierce the competition is, beyond imagination.
Those who can climb to high positions are top-tier in knowledge, strategy, and emotional intelligence.
On Terra, the most sacred land of the Imperium,
even an inconspicuous family might possess unimaginable wealth.
Outside, the rulers of Rogue Trader Dynasties with hundreds of planets might be of noble status, 'big shots' worshipped and revered by countless people.
Even the Inquisition and the Adeptus Arbites have headaches dealing with these guys.
But on Terra, such 'big shots' are everywhere.
To put it bluntly, if you throw a brick, it might hit a 'big shot.'
On the third day after the Fireheart event occurred,
Jack received an order to go and see the Primarch.
A large-scale expedition fleet had suffered casualties due to human intervention.
Regardless of the era, this would lead to bloodshed.
Therefore, Jack was very nervous.
The moment she received the order, she immediately left her desk, piled high with documents,
changed her clothes as quickly as possible, tidied her appearance, and then rushed with her entourage to the Imperial Palace to see the Primarch.
Upon arriving at the Primarch's palace, Jack found the place bustling to the point of madness.
Everyone was jogging instead of walking, incredibly busy.
This made Jack even more nervous.
This matter had caused too much of a stir.
She dared not imagine how many people would die because of it.
It would surely be an extremely exaggerated number.
The Imperial Prime Minister was led into the Primarch's office by the duty officer.
As soon as she stepped in, the huge gilded doors closed behind her.
The room had a high ceiling, and cool gray light streamed in through the tall outer windows.
Jack immediately saw the Primarch behind the desk and hastily bowed to him.
"Lord Guilliman."
"No need for formalities," Guilliman said. "I apologize for summoning you so urgently."
"It is my duty, my Lord, you should not apologize." Jack was somewhat overwhelmed with apprehension.
Then, Jack saw another person in the office.
He was clad in golden armor and had a pair of pristine white wings.
His chiseled face possessed a breathtaking handsomeness,
which uncontrollably inspired awe and reverence.
For a moment, Jack even thought Sanguinius had returned,
but her mind quickly recognized this man, highly similar to Sanguinius, as the Emperor's Saint,
who had attended the grand return celebration with the Primarch.
At that time, Tyreen was still alive.
"Saint." She bowed to Alex.
Alex nodded in response.
Guilliman continued, stating the purpose of summoning Jack.
"You are the gatekeeper of the Terra Council, responsible for guiding the council's agenda and finding ways to facilitate it, ensuring that voted policies can be implemented."
"Whoever wishes to control the council will always have to go through you. Only with your help can one control all of Terra."
"I will serve you at all times," Jack said.
"No!" Guilliman shook his head. "Not serve me, but serve the Saint."
Jack looked up, her gaze sweeping over Guilliman and Alex, a confused expression on her face.
She didn't quite understand the meaning of that statement.
"I'm going on a campaign," Guilliman said. "Although the Fifth Fleet was damaged, the assembly of the other fleets is complete. The Third Fleet will depart first to counter the Blood Crusade launched by Khorne."
"Following that, the First and Sixth Fleets will also depart, and I will go with them. From now on, the Saint will oversee Terra, and I hope you will assist him well."
"Ah!" Jack's eyes widened.
She had thought the Primarch was going to question her about the Fifth Fleet incident,
but instead, he was transferring power to the Saint??
"Prime Minister, I hope we can cooperate happily." Alex spoke to Jack, smiling.
Taking control of Terra was simply too easy.
He now wanted to call back to the 30k era and tell Horus this good news.
He wondered what expression the other party would have!!
(The biological son is coming back to fight, but the non-biological son doesn't need to, right!!)
Guilliman acted decisively, informing the new Imperial Prime Minister of this matter.
After gaining her support, he immediately convened the Terra High Lord Council to make this decision public.
This caused a thousand ripples.
Not only were the Terra High Lord shocked, but even the various factions on Terra were stunned.
This matter came too suddenly.
The Primarch handed over the highest seat of the Terra High Lord to Alex, making him the acting Regent, while he himself would lead the expeditionary force to quell the rampant Chaos forces.
Many factions felt a mix of shock and joy.
The shock was that this Emperor's Saint suddenly gained power, becoming the acting Regent.
They didn't know his background or personality, making it difficult for them to take countermeasures or know how to curry favor with him.
The joy was that Guilliman was finally willing to leave the Sol System.
His various reforms and purges had truly suffocated them before.
Now that he was gone, it was like loosening the noose around their necks.
And this news also caused a huge stir among the player community.
Tenjiro: "What the heck? The Guide became the acting Regent?"
Warmaster: "Isn't that a bit too fast of a promotion?"
Qi Tingzhang: "I want to cling to the Guide's leg, I really want to advance too."
Twisted person: "The Guide is confused. He's already the acting Regent now. What can he be granted if he achieves more merits later? He doesn't understand 'merits overshadowing the master.' If he achieves more merits later, won't the Emperor have to give him the Golden Throne?"
Tenjiro: "Emperor: Is there such a good thing? It's settled, the throne is yours."
Sea Turtle: "In other works, there's all sorts of overt and covert struggles, everyone vying to be emperor—I believe that narrative. But in Warhammer, no one should want to be emperor. If there is, I'd look at them like an idiot."
Little Alpaca: "Haha, honestly, who's crazy enough to want to be the Emperor of the Imperium? Not to mention how miserable the First Imperial Emperor is now, the Second Imperial Emperor is still in pieces, scattered here and there."
Tenjiro: "@Little Alpaca, that's a bit too much of a dark joke. By the way, when are you coming to Terra? The Primarch is about to launch the Indomitus Crusade, so I guess Terra will be the main storyline for a long time to come."
Little Alpaca: "No rush, no rush. I'll farm some dungeons in the Calixis Sector first and get a few more holy relics. Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to beat the bosses of the Indomitus Crusade."
"The Third Crusade Fleet is going straight to clash with Khorne's daemon legions. Without some trump cards, I'm afraid I'll be beaten to tears by the Blood God's minions."