Warhammer: In the Name of Nirvana

When the Primarch of the Eighteenth Legion walked into the hexagonal conference room of the Indomitable Truth, this wide space that could accommodate dozens of Astartes warriors was actually made smaller by the contrast.

This conference room is a replica of the oldest knight's fortress in Caliban. When he was a knight on the deep forest world, the Primarch of the First Legion was there. The fortress united the vast majority of the knights on his home planet, and led these brave and noble men to eliminate the wave of giant beasts that had caused trouble for thousands of years in one fell swoop.

The fortress made of bricks and marble thus entrusted the original dream of Caliban's Lion King, and when he changed his hunting ground from the empty deep forest to the never-peaceful galaxy, the Primarch naturally Move this fortress among the stars.

The tall figures of lions and fire dragons are projected by the constantly beating candlelight onto the stone walls dotted with niches. Their majestic figures are constantly changing between the solemn sculptures and the skulls of giant beasts, and these candlesticks are imprisoned. The iron cage was hung above their shadows, ruthlessly lighting up the cold stone room, lighting up the primitive utensils made of stone, steel and hardwood in the four corners of the room.

If it weren't for the star map in the center of the room that was still shining with light blue and scarlet light, I'm afraid no one would believe that such a room would appear at the core of a huge battleship that straddles the sea of ​​stars. at.

"How many men did you bring with you, Vulkan?"

Before Zhuang Sen walked to the star map, he first carefully checked whether the situation on the front line had changed significantly when he left. After confirming that the most important nodes had not changed, the Lion Only then did he focus his eyes on his blood brother again.

"forty thousand."

Without any hesitation, Vulcan's thick lips wriggled and gently spit out this extremely important number.

"I need to leave some necessary garrison forces on Nocturne. In addition, my entire legion will be at your disposal in this war, Jonson."

The Lion King nodded, very satisfied with this number. He knew that this was indeed the result of Vulcan's exhaustion of all his talents, and it had almost reached the limit of power. I am afraid that the Lord of Nocturne Star is the same as himself, and even The new blood from the home planet was also brought here.

Contrary to what the world imagines, at the point in time they were at, around the seventieth Terran Standard Year when the Great Crusade began, the so-called Legion of Astartes was indeed, in terms of numbers alone, as large as any mortal could imagine. The [Legions] are quite different.

According to the standards of the empire, [Legion] is an absolute symbol of power, an invincible symbol that can make any opponent's most instinctive despair and fear rise from the depths of his heart. It can crush a kingdom or even a kingdom with just a slight wave. The hammers of the emperors of the world, and the most fundamental reason that makes them so terrifying is the crushing power brought about by sheer numbers.

If there are not millions, tens of millions, or even more huge troops, then it is not worthy of the name of a [Legion].

But the Legion of Astartes is a notable exception.

Looking at the entire galaxy, the total number of Astartes currently fighting in the name of the Emperor is only seven to eight million, or even less.

As the unquestionably strongest legion at this moment, the Dark Angels have a huge strength of 150,000. Among Johnson's descendants, only the Luna Wolves, Ultramarines and Imperial Fists can reach [100,000]. ] scale.

Further down, the Iron Warriors and the Word Bearers, as powerful legions with prosperous home planets and stable seeds, have already exceeded 50,000 in number. However, these two legions have some problems caused by the Primarch. Unique problems, such as an obsession with religion or bloody tactics, caused their forces to grow more slowly than those of their most prosperous brethren.

Surprisingly, the White Scars at this time also had the same level of strength as the Iron Warriors and the Word Bearers. This may be due to the long history of the Fifth Legion: as early as the earliest days of the Emperor's Great Crusade, at that time The fifth legion called the Star Hunters was the largest legion. At least 50,000 warriors welcomed the return of Chagatai Khan, and in the following years, this number expanded to 80,000.

Further down, legions such as the Blood Angels, Space Wolves, and Death Guard have struggled to expand their legions due to bloody wars and obsession with joining members in certain worlds. This is also the case for most of the Astartes legions. The usual posture: Not everyone is like the ambitious Ultramar man, who has a large number of worlds in his hands and can separate them at any time.

As for those legions in the worst situation, such as the Emperor's Children or the Thousand Sons, their numbers fluctuate around a few thousand. Considering the intensity of the war in the Great Crusade, such a force is not even suitable for undertaking an expeditionary front alone: ​​to You know, the seemingly smooth-sailing Duran Strangulation Battle alone cost the Dark Angels and Space Wolves legions at least two thousand casualties, which was fatal enough for those thin legions.

"Forty thousand people..."

Jonson murmured softly. This number was not much different from what he had expected. According to Caliban Lion's estimate, he would receive approximately one hundred thousand reinforcements from Salamanders and Space Wolves. Coupled with the fragmented troops of other legions and his legion, this will be an invincible army with 300,000 Astartes.

With this power, even if Randan saw through his plan, he would be able to use hard power to defeat any invading enemy.

"Yes, forty thousand men, tell me, my brother, what do we have to do in this war?"

Vulkan's questions continued to echo in the stone chamber, like the roar of a fire dragon lingering in the valley for a long time. Zhuang Sen looked at his brother quietly. He seemed to want to speak immediately, but he hesitated.

The lion's gaze lingered for a while, and finally came to another silver-haired blood relative of his. At this time, Morgan had just walked to a stone platform at the edge of the room, and took out the wine and cup from its empty belly bag. This made the Primarch frown: he didn't remember that there was wine in his conference room.

The lion's gaze followed his psychic advisor, returning to him from the edge of the room until Morgan placed the cup in front of everyone and poured the wine.

[In any case, His Excellency Vulkan and his legion are our honored guests, and they are also battle brothers who fight side by side with us. 】

The lion of Caliban had a solemn face as he watched his blood relatives push two glasses of wine in front of him and the Fire Dragon Lord respectively.

[And no matter what time, it is not a polite behavior to leave guests and brothers empty, isn't it? 】

After saying this, she turned her head and looked at the Fire Dragon Lord.

[Please try it, Your Excellency, maybe it is not...perfect. After all, the war is urgent, and this is the best we can come up with. 】

Zhuang Sen looked at the wine glass in front of him, watching the liquid like flowing red tears swaying in the clear glass.

When did he have these things in his conference room?

The Lion King cast a suspicious look on Morgan's face, while Ms. Spider just let her hands spread slightly in the air, betraying a colleague who was personally guarding outside the room without hesitation.

[Your Excellency Coswayne is an excellent general manager, he always takes care of everything. 】

While Zhuang Sen's eyebrows were still twitching because of this answer, the Fire Dragon Lord had already carefully grasped the rather small wine glasses in front of him and drank them all in one gulp.

Somewhat sour.

The wine in the glass may not even be called a throat moisturizer for the Primarch. Vulkan blinked his red eyes and wanted to pour out some words of thanks, but except for the fleeting sour taste, He certainly didn't get any more flavor from the wine.

During the few seconds Vulcan was silent, he heard Morgan's apologetic voice. The silver-haired mortal seemed to be carefully observing his face, and keenly captured that moment of solidification.

[I want to apologize to you, Your Excellency, but in a hurry, this is all I can take out. 】

The Fire Dragon Lord only saw sincerity in Ms. Spider's face. Her blue pupils were covered by slender eyelashes, and she could only vaguely see the sparkling colors in them like the surface of a lake.

Vulcan was silent, and the delicate thoughts hidden under his rough appearance were moving because of Morgan's words and the meaning of this glass of sour wine.

Almost in the next moment, Vulkan figured it out. At this time, Zhuang Sen's eyes were still wandering between the wine glass in front of him and his two blood relatives. This beast that could not understand most emotions was even a little confused.

"Where did you get these things?"

[The grapes I cultivate myself are in my own room. However, due to the emergency of the war, I can only pick these immature crops and brew them into imperfect sour wine. 】

[Many things in reality are always sudden, disrupting many things, and then turning everything into an imperfect result like this glass of wine. 】

[But we always have to drink it. 】

The Primarch of the First Legion stared at the wine that his blood relative was shaking, guessing what her words were implying. On the other side of Morgan, the Fire Dragon Lord had already laughed.

"Actually, you don't have to be so tactful, Ms. Morgan."

"Although I have been trying hard to become a warrior, and always failed, I have also learned some things. I know that war will not be accompanied by anyone's ideas of compromise, so if I What I’m dealing with here is a glass of sour wine, or even a glass of pure bitterness, and I’ll drink it.”

"This is the purpose of my coming here. Someone has to drink the bitter wine. Since the Emperor has given me great power, I should bear more for those who have no power."

"Tell me what you need me to do."

The Lord of the Fire Dragon looked at the Lord of the Dark Angels who was staring at him and Morgan, who was still a little unresponsive. A smile appeared on his dark face, which looked a little ferocious, but also gave people an incomparable sense of security. .

"No need to mind, Zhuang Sen, I am not afraid of casualties, and none of my descendants will be afraid of this. If Salamander's 40,000 warriors can exchange for the tranquility and peace of countless worlds behind us, then I can only ask for it."

Zhuang Sen blinked his eyes and nodded numbly, his last gaze still lingering on his two blood relatives. He was thinking in vain about what consensus the two people had reached in the two sentences just now, and what mutual agreement they had with each other. What information was poured out.

But in the end, he still did not stay too long in this field that he may not be good at. With a few taps of the Primarch's fingers, the star map in front of everyone suddenly changed, and countless galaxies and worlds were quickly ignored. The Tuckers galaxy where they were located was infinitely enlarged and enlarged until a huge world filled every corner of the star map.

"Tax V is the only world in this galaxy that barely meets colonial standards. Its size is roughly the same as Saturn in the solar system. There are only deserts and dried oceans on the surface, and the only water sources are concentrated on a few peaks. The top glacier.”

"I have set up the main battlefield of this war here. My warriors have built a strong enough permanent fortress community in this world. I can guarantee you the solidity and performance of this place. Unless those aliens use it to destroy the entire The weapons of the world, otherwise even the largest fleet salvo cannot fundamentally threaten this place."

As Zhuangson spoke, he zoomed in on the world on the star map, allowing Vulcan to clearly see the vast desert, rolling hills, and the mountainous area surrounded by mountains and broken valleys on Planet Tax V. Surrounded by only a few entrances to the core fortress.

With this core as the center, the large number of fortresses and fortifications built by the Dark Angels have expanded to continental scale. Thousands of immortal fortresses have been planned by Johnson's descendants in the past few months. Most of them are protected by thick defensive barriers, and the giant engines that support these barriers are safely placed in specially thickened fortresses.

Zhuang Sen randomly clicked on an individual in this powerful armed group and introduced its data in detail.

"This is the A-13 fortress group. It is responsible for guarding the giant engines that maintain the defensive barriers in the surrounding six areas. It consists of three main fortresses, five joint fortresses and more turret fortresses. Its center is equipped with a 600mm caliber main gun, all surfaces are covered with 500 mm thick special alloy plates. There are at least three layers of permanent fortifications under each fort. Each layer of permanent concrete canopy is 4000 mm thick. There are countless underground structures between the forts. The passages are connected to small railways, and there are more bunkers. All fortress turrets are sunken and have an absolute advantage in shooting. As for the weapons depot and giant engines, they are placed at least fifty meters deep underground. , unless all the defenders are killed, Ran Dan will not be able to destroy them, and as long as the engine does not stop working, it will take an extremely long time for the alien fleet to really damage the fortress itself."

"And this fortress community is among the most ordinary of all fortress communities. Compared to the real core fortress, it is like a child's shirt and a knight's armor."

Vulkan listened to his brother's long speech, and his eyes were fixed on everything shown on the star map: towering fortresses, high walls, and countless fortresses spread like spider webs over half of the world. , it has become an excellent battlefield for strangling the alien army that the world cannot imagine.

"Breathtaking, my brother."

"I originally thought that only the Iron Warriors or the Imperial Fists could do this."

Johnson smiled.

"I don't dare to be greedy for credit, Vulkan. In fact, there are indeed warriors from these two legions currently in my fleet. They have contributed more to these fortresses than my descendants combined."

Jonson still remembers Morgan's idea of ​​"putting the Iron Warriors and the Imperial Fists together at the fortress construction site". The effect was indeed good: it just cost some work time and raw materials.

Vulkan carefully observed these majestic war fortresses, admiring their magnificence and power as a blacksmith, but he did not indulge in it for too long. Soon, his pupils glowing red again Turning back to Zhuang Sen.

"So, I guess, this is the battlefield for my Legion?"

Faced with this question, Zhuang Sen couldn't help but pause. He instinctively glanced aside, only to find that his other blood relative was just observing the fortress on the star map and ignored him. look.

The lion coughed slightly.

"Yes, my brother, I need your legions to station here. I will also send some of my descendants, but not too many. The warriors under your command need to fight alongside the mortals."

"Sounds good, with a strong fortress and reliable comrades: I guess I don't need anything more. So, what is our mission?"

"...Stick to it, stick to it no matter the cost."

Zhuang Sen was silent for a moment, and finally uttered this cold word.

"I will use my method to hide a large part of the naval power in the void until Ran Dan's alien fleets [break through] all my defense lines and come to this world, and your mission is to stick here and cooperate with The other troops gave Ran Dan enough casualties that they had to continue transporting landing troops."

"The fleet I left behind will continue to interfere with them, ensuring air superiority in a certain area, and at the same time preventing them from inflicting real destruction on this world, until Ran Dan invests enough or important enough power on the surface of this world. When the time comes, I need your legion to bite them at all costs, and my legion will appear and support as quickly as possible to annihilate the main force of Ran Dan who cannot escape on the surface and low-Earth orbit of this world."

"Vulkan, I will not hide it from you, my brother, this will be a very dangerous and tragic mission. Your legion will need to resist Ran Dan's main force for an extremely long time and give them enough damage - I am not sure what this number will be, but I will give you all the warriors in my legion who can help in the defense, and I hope that the Salamanders' front will be impregnable."

"Ran Dan's fleet may be larger than we thought, so I can't really determine how this war needs to end, but in any case, my brother, if there is a fatal omission on the front you are responsible for, If you are in danger, please tell me in time, and I will change the plan immediately. We don’t need to let all the Randan aliens die here, we just need to let them drain enough blood."

Zhuang Sen's words were a little confused and a little excited. He stared at his blood brother, and facing such a gaze, Vulkan nodded equally seriously.

"give it to me."

He just replied.

Zhuang Sen looked at him and nodded.

"give it to you."

Then, some trivial things were constantly brought up in the conversation of the original body, and time passed like this, until Coswayne came to report that the Space Wolves fleet had appeared at Mandeville Point, the Fire Dragon The Lord suddenly remembered another question.

"Well, Jonson, my brother."

"What role does our Leman Russ brother play in your plan?"

Faced with this question, Zhuang Sen didn't hesitate much. He didn't speak, but just showed a playful smile.

"I gave him a role, man."

"A role that suits him well."

"A perfect fit for... a wild wolf and his pack of crazy cubs."

Vulkan blinked and looked at Morgan aside, eager to get a clearer answer.

He was answered by Morgan's smile and a slow whisper. It was obvious that Morgan had been informed of every step of the plan.

【Wolf...】

[Of course I let them go and make trouble. 】