The Emperor’s Angel of Death

"To contain the Tyranid invasion of the Storm Worlds and maintain surveillance, we must hold this position, hold Zenith."

Seth's words highlighted the crux of the matter, and Malakin concurred:

"Deploying forces here allows us to cover both battlefronts extensively, protect densely populated areas, and facilitate the efficient transport of military supplies from Zhao-Arkhad and Gryphon IV."

Saul Tarvitz nodded.

"Indeed. Therefore, I propose relocating the Scar of Victory to the vicinity of Zenith as a strategic pivot point. Let's proceed with the vote now."

He raised his right hand, and the others followed suit.

The motion passed unanimously.

"I will report this operation to Terra shortly and inform Battlefleet Bakka that the Scar of Victory's docks will be open to the Imperial Navy. Once the Scar of Victory is redeployed, allied Chapters may choose their battle direction or focus on replenishing their ranks. The Tyranid threat is currently manageable, but the future is uncertain. Moreover, the Imperium faces other enemies. Several months ago, the Scar of Victory received a psychic distress call indicating that the Ork warbands in the Charadon Sector are mobilizing en masse, possibly targeting the Loki Sector. This is an immense Ork cluster, and the local forces may struggle to resist. They are sending out distress calls across the sector."

Upon hearing this, the Chapter Masters reacted differently, but none spoke, only exchanging glances.

After a moment, Arash remarked:

"Isn't that the Crimson Fists' responsibility? Their strength should be sufficient to handle these Orks."

Artellus followed up:

"Aren't the Crimson Fists renowned for their extensive experience fighting Orks? This shouldn't be a problem for them."

Saul Tarvitz simply shrugged.

"Brothers, you are free to choose your course of action."

He didn't explicitly state that the Star Knights would go, which implicitly confirmed everyone's unspoken thoughts—they had just concluded a Tyranid war and lacked the energy for another Ork conflict.

"Now, for the third matter, regarding the rotation of the Grand Sector garrisons. Given the uneven distribution of personnel among the Chapters, the Star Knights and White Templars will bear the brunt of the deployment. The original plan was for the Penitent and Relictors Chapters to contribute five companies, but the Penitent have recently suffered severe losses."

Saul Tarvitz turned to Artellus.

"Brother Artellus, I propose that your Chapter provide four companies, and the Penitent one company. A new rotation will be conducted after the Chapters have replenished their numbers. What do you think?"

Artellus considered for a moment, then nodded.

"We are duty-bound to fight for the Emperor."

"That's settled, then. You will depart after the Scar of Victory is deployed. Although the Tyranids are scattered, the defensive pressure on the Grand Sector remains significant. It is the gateway to Zhao-Arkhad, and its fall would destabilize the forge world. Of the Storm Worlds' crucial forge worlds—Zhao-Arkhad, Gryphon IV, and Gerya—their survival ensures the sector's survival, and their loss jeopardizes the entire region. Therefore, to protect this vast and barren territory, we must first safeguard these three forge worlds."

"Brother Saul Tarvitz speaks wisely, if only the Mechanicus priests were less selfish."

"Fourth, due to the unfortunate incident involving Mazhar, the rotating chairmanship will be transferred ahead of schedule."

Saul Tarvitz looked at Metellus.

"Brother Metellus, this responsibility falls to you. You will also oversee the redeployment of the Scar of Victory. Something has occurred in the Nayseth System, and I must return."

Metellus nodded.

"I will do my utmost. Your Chapter's homeworld is..."

"A group of Chaos Space Marines attempted to attack the Nayseth System in our absence."

"Ah!?"

Everyone was momentarily taken aback. Malakin immediately asked:

"How is the Chapter monastery?"

"Who were they?"

"Was it Huron? Damn it, failing to kill that mongrel once has left us with repercussions."

Saul Tarvitz smiled and shook his head.

"Just remnants of the Third Legion. And their attack failed. The cowards fled after being repelled by the system's defense weapons."

"That's good, but the Star Knights' reputation has grown, attracting many enemies. We must be cautious and avoid deploying all our forces at once."

"This is my misjudgment."

With that, he stood up and took the golden goblet from the table.

"Gentlemen, I had envisioned a grand victory celebration, but due to my own incompetence, I have not brought true victory to the Imperium. I can only share a drink with you, brothers, and wish for a truly great victory in the future. To the fallen, to the Emperor, and to the indomitable spirit of humanity!"

The others stood up, raising their glasses.

To the fallen! To the Emperor! To the indomitable spirit of humanity!

After the meeting, some fleet-based Chapters of the Anguish Alliance immediately began preparing for the transfer and escort of the Scar of Victory, while other Chapters that had suffered significant personnel losses began recruiting new soldiers.

Once everything was arranged, Saul Tarvitz set off to return to the Nayseth System.

At the same time, the Legion's fleet was once again divided into two. Five companies of the White Templars, along with some auxilia and Knight Houses, returned to the Brakato System, as they also needed to rest and refit.

After weeks of warp travel, Saul Tarvitz and the Star Knights returned to the Nayseth System aboard the magnificent Landale.

News of the Lord Governor's return quickly spread throughout the system, and the leaders of the various planets immediately sent a flood of congratulatory and welcoming messages. Saul Tarvitz even used the Abyss-class's powerful communication array to conduct a system-wide broadcast, announcing the expedition's partial victory and the upcoming year-long parade of Tyranid biological specimens. The auxilia who had accompanied the expedition would also participate in various victory parades, large and small, sharing tales of heroism and selfless sacrifice with everyone.

But Saul Tarvitz was not very concerned about these matters. He immediately inspected the damage from the previous attack, mainly to the system's escorts and defense installations, which could be quickly replenished thanks to the system's growing internal industry.

However, this attack gave Ulan Huda the opportunity to present a proposal from their newly established Naval Design Bureau. Since Saul Tarvitz had been busy with the expedition recently, the proposal was reviewed by Iliana and ultimately approved.

When Saul Tarvitz returned, the first batch of new system defense ships had already begun to enter service.

"...This type of warship... I seem to recall Director Banguela mentioning it in Ulan Huda, but the design was not yet complete at the time."

Standing on the spacious observation platform above the Landale's bridge, Saul Tarvitz watched as the ships passed by in formation very close to the hull. The main body of this observation platform was a semi-circular reinforced glass dome, standing inside which was like being in the void.

The miniature warships that floated past him had an arrow-like streamlined appearance, flat, sharp, and about two hundred meters in length. The front of the hull had two side-by-side turrets, each with two main guns. The center had four dispersed quad-linked rapid-fire cannons. The sides and bottom of the hull also had missile launch ports, and the rear had a series of communication facilities and 4 main engines and 8 vector nozzles.