40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 308 28. Three years

004.M31, Nostramo, low Earth orbit, Nightfall.

"We're going to find the Word Bearers," Angel Tai said.

His expression was firm, and the golden mark left by some kind of trauma shone in the center of his forehead. It was a long and narrow scar that looked like a sharp sword. Only a few people know that this is just a drop of blood smashing the traces left on it.

"Going for what, going to die?" Conrad Coates asked.

He held a sword in one hand, which was a bit too short for him personally. Obviously, this is not a weapon prepared for the original body, but it is now held in the hand of the Lord of the Night, and it rotates gracefully with the fingers and wrist.

"No, sir, we are going to find evidence." Angel Tai retracted his gaze from the sword and made a gesture with his right hand. Very determined and persuasive.

Over the past three years, he had learned this gesture by heart, and Angel Tai would use it to comfort his remaining brothers whenever they doubted something. But now, he used this gesture on himself.

There was no way, in front of the cold-eyed Konrad Coates, he had to use an outside move to gain enough confidence to say the next words. Otherwise, he might doubt himself before the words come out of his mouth.

"Then?" Coze looked at him and put down his sword.

Or rather, he threw it on his desk. Metal and metal collided with each other, making a clanging sound. A few documents piled up in the corner of the desk were slightly scattered. The servitor standing next to him mechanically stretched out his left hand and put them back to their original positions.

"Then we will return to Terra with evidence, and we will expose the Word Bearers' corruption, depravity, and rebellion to the galaxy. The most important point is that we will find the murderer, we will skin him, and use Ori "Lean's name."

"What a plan, so smart." Coz nodded and clapped appreciatively. "But how are you going to do this, Angel Tai?"

Angel Tai puffed out his chest and pretended not to hear the irony in his words: "We will find a solution, my lord."

Curze looked at him impassively, not laughing at the performance.

"You are a dead man now. The Word Bearers have announced that you are lost in the warp. If you take a ship to find them, I'm afraid there will be no chance of even getting close, and you will be turned into a volley of fire in space. Rubbish."

Angel Tai lowered his head, then raised it again after a moment: "We will find a solution, sir."

Kurtz smiled, he took a step forward, came to Angel Tai, stretched out his hand and held the back of his head. He smiled and spoke in a friendly tone.

"Let me make this clear to you, Angel Tai. Even if you miraculously get on their ship and get the evidence you need, you won't come back alive. Do you understand?"

Angel Tai nodded stiffly.

"Very good, then let's talk about the second thing - what happens after we get the evidence? You, a missing Word Bearer, go to Terra with your brother and a whole ship of incriminating evidence?"

"I hope you don't forget that there are ambassadors from various legions stationed on Terra. If you really show up in Terra with such a big fanfare, then the ambassador will definitely be there. Moreover, he has sufficient and legitimate reasons. "

Kurtz chuckled and raised his left hand, spread out his fingers, and made an explosive gesture, and his voice became sharper.

"Boom! Angel Tai, commander of the 7th Assault Company who has disappeared for three years, has returned from the subspace with his team! Ah, as the Word Bearers ambassador to Terra, I must be there! And what do you think he will do? What?"

Angel Tai opened his mouth to say something, but Curze took a step ahead of him. The original body raised his hand in advance and closed his jaw. His movements were gentle, but his eyes were extremely cold.

"'We will find a solution.' You'd better not say this. I don't want to hear it anymore."

"But we have no shame in waiting any longer, sir." Angel Tai said imploringly. "We have been in Nostramo for three years incognito"

"Then, why not stay for another three years?"

Coze let go of him and waved his right hand lazily: "Nostramo can still afford the armor, weapons and supplies for eight hundred and twenty-four people. What do you think of my place? Hmm. ? Angel Tai? Do you think I can’t afford such a small amount of supplies?”

"I never meant that, my lord." Angel Tai said with a wry smile. "Everyone can see how wealthy Nostramo is today."

"Rich." Coz laughed dumbly.

He put his hands behind his back and walked to the desk. The servitor moved its head faithfully, waiting for his possible next orders. Its waiting was not in vain. The Lord of Night picked up the documents and handed them to the servitor with both hands.

"Please hand it to the instructor's office," he said. "It's an urgent dispatch, please, A-103."

The servitor known as A-103 nodded dully, and after a salute, he left the Lord of the Night's office with the documents in his arms. Angel Tai watched it leave with him, and the moment the door slid shut, Conrad Coates's voice sounded again.

"Okay, okay" he sighed and shook his head, looking helpless. "I understand your anxiety, and I also understand your unwillingness to trouble us anymore, but I hope you understand one thing."

"Please tell me." Angel Tai puffed up his chest again.

Maintaining a calm and gentle tone, Konrad Coates slowly began to speak.

"There are two unwritten rules within Night Blade. For ordinary war missions, if the intensity does not reach a certain level, the mission briefing afterwards will not indicate the danger level."

"When it comes to melee gang jumping in void warfare, we will carefully assess the risk and death probability before proceeding. For so many years, Night Blade's gang jumping mortality rate has always been controlled below 5%. You were a member of the assault company. "Chang, you should know what this number means."

Angel Tai nodded silently - how could he not be clear? This number is nothing short of a miracle.

"So you can probably see some of our traditions from these two things. Yes, the Eighth Legion is a legion that conducts risk assessments before starting a mission. We are such a group of weirdos."

Conrad Coates chuckled, but there was no smile in his eyes.

Angel Tai thought silently, what a striking similarity - he and Khalil Lohars, they both like to hide their true emotions with laughter at such similar moments.

"As for the task you proposed to me, do you know, from my perspective, what is your danger level and probability of death?"

"I hope you will remain silent on this matter. Courage is still very important to me." Angel Tai replied without squinting. "I can't be a coward just yet."

"But I can't just watch you die." The Lord of Night looked at him seriously. "That's why I want to tell you another thing. You remember Ullanor, right?"

"My lord, during the year when I fell into coma, the major event worth remembering was the Council of Nicaea. I was present during the triumphal ceremony of Ullanor."

"I know, just making sure." Kozpi nodded at him with a smile. "For three years, the Warmaster has perfectly assumed the responsibilities of this position, and we brothers are willing to accept his mission."

"He issued a new order not long ago. He hopes that the Ultramarines and the Word Bearers can unite and gather on Calth to attack an Orc Empire named Garask and eliminate this threat once and for all."

".Sounds like there's no problem?" Angel Tai said with a frown. "Teaming up against orcs is a pretty classic strategy, these brutes are worthy of any extreme tactic."

"No, there is a problem. In fact, the biggest problem is that there is no problem." Conrad Coates folded his hands and shook his head with a sneer.

"Calth is in the southeast of the Ultramar Star Territory, very close to the world community of Nostramo. My brother Robert's mastery of the five hundred worlds of Ultramar is very amazing. He can immediately stop any disturbance. to the news.”

"Thanks to him, I have also used his systems in my little place. So I can tell you this, Angel Tai, there are no orcs near Calth at all."

The corners of Angel Tai's eyes twitched. He did not answer immediately, but took several deep breaths. Astartes' three lungs began to work at full capacity. The Lord of Night looked at him, finally showing some mercy at this moment.

"Yes, it's what you think." He said softly. "Something went terribly wrong."

——

Khalil tapped his temple thoughtfully and looked down at a briefing on the table in front of him. After a few minutes, he raised his head and spoke to his regimental commander.

"Battle of Devon?" He chose to start the conversation with a question. "The military report sent back to Terra said that Horus was injured in this battle and was poisoned by some kind of poison. It is really rare for the poison to make the original body collapse."

"Then he recovered from the treatment of the local indigenous people." The Lord of the Night smiled and tapped the word 'recovery' on the document with his right index finger. "What a coincidence."

"And now he chooses to let the Ultramarines and the Word Bearers join forces to deal with an orc empire that doesn't exist at all." Khalil frowned, finally showing a little worry.

"We might as well assume that there is nothing wrong with Horus." Coze crossed his hands and gave another guess. "But, is this what our Wolf Shepherd God would do to let the Word Bearers and the Ultramarines, who have already formed a deadly feud, cooperate again?"

Khalil raised his head silently and put away the briefing. He came to the porthole and observed the scene of Nostramo from his most familiar and favorite position.

"Stop looking, what's the point of looking here all the time? You don't want to go down for a walk every time." Conrad Coates sighed, ended his complaint, and got down to business.

"My idea is to send four large companies to support Robert Guilliman. Angel Tai can also take his brothers and take this opportunity to collect the evidence he wants."

"Have you already acquiesced that there is a problem with Horus?" Khalil asked without looking back.

"You know, Dad, I'm a pessimist."

"Okay," Khalil said. "Well, I need to go to Terra. Also."

"What else?"

"I want to visit Nostramo first." Kalil turned around and said in Nostramo, with the most peaceful smile on his face. "With you accompanying me, can I get this honor?"

The Lord of the Night rolled his eyes and walked into the darkness complaining: "Why didn't you tell me earlier? You annoying old man, I still have work to do."

Yes, code.