Warhammer: In the Name of the Emperor

The Starport Fortress has a wide wing. Almost every empire's fortress, battleship and military base has such a place. This place is prepared for high-ranking officers and imperial nobles who have served again.

Here you can intuitively overlook the endless majestic Milky Way through the huge tilted hanging windows, as well as various unusual but spectacular astronomical phenomena in the dark night sky, including huge star clusters rising like giant pillars in the astral world. Giant pillars surround the dark background, pulling out the rotating nebulae with long wavy borders and other beautiful wonders.

This has a unique attraction for many Imperial Navy officers. After all, as a member of the Navy sailing in the Milky Way under the Emperor's light, who doesn't have a romantic desire for the Milky Way? So there is a place like this, a large observation deck that is very suitable for expressing poetry, painting and other elegant aristocratic hobbies.

Of course, it is also very suitable for picking up girls. Vito has been in many places like this to "talk about the Milky Way" with female captains of the Navy. The kind of conversations that were very spacious are also due to the fact that the ground here is still very wide.

But today this place is obviously not the right place to chat, especially not to pick up girls. After all, who would want to talk about the philosophy of life in a place where battleships are exploding, wreckage slides into the atmosphere, and people may be hit by artillery shells at any time.

Vito looked at the galactic battlefield outside the window. His eyes jumped on the flying battleships outside the window. They flew out the window with bright tongues of flames spitting out thrusters, flying across the blazing night sky towards the side of the planet's orbit, on the planet's dusk line. In the direction of the battlefield, the flickering explosion flames are rising from the edge of the entire world, like the rising dawn.

"Are you okay? Malakin." Vito stood in front of the window and asked. A huge figure was reflected on the floor-to-ceiling window next to him. He walked in behind Vito wearing a golden armor and stood behind him. He stood silently in the dim space of the observation deck. Only the firelight lit by the explosion outside could illuminate his face through the wide hanging window.

Vito's eyes turned to the side, staring at the reflection of the face illuminated by the firelight on the glass window. The latter stood in the explosion of firelight and sighed longly, "I'm okay, sir, at least I'm still alive. , live in disgrace.”

"You are very depressed, my friend. My eyes will not deceive me. I know that I am not living a good life." Vito glanced at the person in the reflection. He raised his head and glanced at Vito before sitting down with a sigh. On the stone platform beside him, he sat next to the statue of an imperial angel holding a spear and flying a flag.

Malakin sat down all of a sudden, and he put the yellow helmet on the steps aside. Vito saw that the helmet was full of craters and lacerations, which silently revealed that the man who bowed his head sat down. The warriors have been fighting for the empire in this dark galaxy for many years, maybe a lifetime.

But even if he fights for a lifetime and bleeds and sacrifices for the Emperor in this dark universe for so long, he can't wash away the thick and suffocating sense of depression in his body. That feeling comes from shame and Self-doubt was like a drop of blood tears falling down, just like the drop of blood on his shoulder armor.

"Are you still regretting what happened to Badab? It's been so long." Vito turned his back to Malakin and stood under the blazing starry sky. The firelight shined through the edge of the golden armor, lighting up He saw the golden eagle spreading its wings on the shoulder armor. The eagle's wings cut the incoming firelight into several pieces and projected them.

Malakin sat on the edge of the shadowed steps. He raised his head, his face illuminated by the broken shadow of the sacred eagle's wings flashing in the firelight. He looked at the tall giant in front of the window. He stood there speechlessly. , as if the Emperor himself was standing there, listening and witnessing everything that happened here.

Malakin looked at the majestic back and was silent for a moment, then the Chapter let out a long sigh. He lowered his head and put his hands on his knees, "We betrayed the Emperor, betrayed Sanguinius, we Join the enemies of the Empire and join the machinations of Chaos."

"You were deceived, Malakin. I told you at the trial, I told you all, that the crime is not on you, but on the real traitor."

Vito stared at the fire outside the window. His figure was reflected in the light of the fire, and a hazy halo was released around the edge of his body, just like a dawn sun slowly rising from the horizon. The light emanated from the dark It shot out slowly on the horizon, but it was still suppressed by the darkness, buried deep in the dusk of the sunset.

"I will always remember and be grateful for your help, sir. If you hadn't argued hard for the trial, and even threatened the Salamanders with violence, we, the Executioners Chapter, and the Mantis Warriors would have ceased to exist. ”

Malakin still remembered that during the trial, the Chapter Masters of the Shark Chapter and the Tauren Chapter insisted on executing all rebels, and all three surrendering Chapters were executed, and their reputation and records were removed from the Empire. At that time, the Weeper and the other two surrendered chapters had almost no support, and no one dared to support them in front of the two chapter leaders.

As members of the rebel side, they are not even qualified to defend themselves. It seems that the only outcome will be that they will be executed as shameful traitors and fall into the abyss of spurned sin forever. Even their The soul of their father Sanguinius would never want to look at them again.

But in the silent court, only Vito and Tushan, the leader of the Salamanders Chapter, defended them. Faced with the two chapter leaders who were known for their cruelty, bloodthirsty and rage, they argued with reason, and even There was an immediate quarrel. It was quite lively but also exciting.

The Chapter Master of the Tauren Chapter took out the order scroll of the High Lords Council and slapped it on the table. He roared and warned the audience that the High Lords Council had ordered him to deal with all rebels strictly, and that strict means to use rebels. His corpse warned the rest of the universe of the consequences of betraying Terra.

And Vito directly slapped the Grand Inquisitor's pendant of the Inquisition on the table, along with a bolt gun, and directly angrily denounced the high lords on the spot as a bunch of senile idiots, and only the same stupid idiots could. He would listen to them without thinking, which made the Tauren Chapter Master almost declare Vito's heresy on the spot.

In the end, Tushan stepped forward to stop them, and directly told the representative of the Tribunal in charge of the trial that the founding group Salamanders objected to the execution of everyone. They were only deceived and not sentenced to death. If the Tribunal insisted on this, then Fire Lizards would The Lizards will refuse in the name of the Fire Dragon Lord and perform acts of true justice.

This was almost a military remonstrance, and a fight almost broke out at that time. The Minotaurs, the Shark Chapter and the Salamanders, as well as several sub-groups supporting the founding Chapter, had another interstellar battle just after the Badab War. Warrior civil war.

But in the end all disputes were resolved by Vito, who prevented the impending conflict by proposing to the representatives of the Inquisition, in the name of the Grand Inquisitor, that the Atonement Crusade be used instead of en masse executions.

Let the surrenders go to the deepest part of the galaxy to fight against the enemies of various empires for a period of one hundred years. During this period, the surrenders must continue to fight against the enemies of the empire and cannot recruit new soldiers. If they still have not died out after a hundred years, That meant the Emperor forgave them.

Although this was cruel and would almost certainly mean that each battle group had to pay a heavy price, it was also the best solution at the time. Malakin knew that because it still represented hope, as long as they could survive that century , then you can be forgiven.

Finally, after another heated discussion, the representatives of the Inquisition accepted this suggestion, and in the end Vito also convinced the Shark and the Minotaur to accept it, although the final result was that Vito and the Shark and the Minotaur Both of his Chapter Masters had a falling out and the two sides broke up on bad terms, but he also saved three Chapters.

Malakin has always been grateful to Vito for saving his war group. During the subsequent Redemption Crusade, Vito has also been secretly helping the Weeper. He quietly used his position as Inquisitor to provide them with various assistance, Supplies, armaments, corrections, etc., especially when the Weeper later encountered the Tyranid Hive Fleet. Without the reinforcements brought by Vito, the Weeper would have perished at that time.

"You have completed the Atonement Crusade and persevered for a hundred years. During this period, you fought bloody battles with countless enemies of the Empire and saved many Imperial worlds and countless people on them. Why do you think so? Do you still want to repent? You have already washed away your shame."

"No, sir, not at all. Our battle group is still cursed. Doom and curse have enveloped us from the very beginning. Badab is just a part of our cursed destiny. We can't wash away that shame at all. Our Existence is a sin.”

Malakin lowered his head and said. He spoke in a low and sad voice. Vito looked at him reflected in the glass, "Are you talking about cursing Jianjun again?" "Yes, sir, cursing Jianjun, the name itself has Curse, like our fate.”

Malakin whispered. He looked at the scarred helmet at his hand, which had experienced thousands of years like him. Malakin stared at the countless gaps and damage on it. It had already reached the point where it was completely damaged. Edge, just like his warband.

"We participated in the Abyss Crusade, but we came back. We should have perished in the Eye of Terror in that glorious battle, but we came back, came back with the curse, among the many sacrifices in the glory of the Emperor, Or maybe we are the only ones who have come back among the group leaders who have taken refuge with the enemies of Chaos. Perhaps this is a joke played by the Evil God of Chaos. "

Malakin smiled bitterly, with an unconcealable sadness in that smile. He smiled tiredly, and Vito looked at the reflection on the glass and looked at him silently.

This is what happened to many cursed armies and battle groups returning after the Abyss Expedition. The reason is simple, isn't it? Of the many warbands that went on the Eye of Terror expedition, most did not perish within it, defending the glory of the Emperor with the heroic sacrifice of their last man, while others chose to betray themselves and surrendered to Chaos in the whispers of the warp. .

However, you are the only one who has come back from it. You have not perished or fallen into chaos? Just come back? Who let you come back? Why? You are back. This suspicion has sprouted in everyone's hearts, causing the Weeper and other war groups who finally returned alive from the Abyss Expedition to suffer from Chaos spies and betrayers who may betray you at any time. Stigma.

They were targeted, cursed and hostile. Most of the last survivors of the Cursed Founding Army were driven away from their homes, resources, or forced. Their home worlds were occupied by those loyal war groups, and They, like the Weepers, were expelled to the farthest corner of the galaxy.

Many battle groups were betrayed in this way, not because of the Chaos pollution during the Abyss Expedition, but because of the hostility of the empire and even their own blood brothers. They were abandoned and betrayed, and in the end, they were Falling into the embrace of chaos as predicted.

This is a self-confirmed prophecy, born out of doubt and made possible by doubt.

"Brothers don't trust us. Other chapters are not even willing to share a room with us, sharing a room with a group of cursed Sons of Darkness who were released by the evil god of Chaos."

Malakin said as he touched the crack on the top of the helmet, which was the gap left by Tyran's claws. His iron fingers touched that place and sighed sadly, "The Black Fury is better than any other Son of Sanguinius." They have cursed us more deeply. I have seen countless brothers buried here and burned out in the final madness. This makes even our own brothers unwilling to accept us. "

"We were exiled to the edge of the galaxy, hoping to find redemption somewhere, but all we got was the fate of betrayal. Huron easily deceived us on Badab, causing us to turn our backs on the glory of the Emperor and side with the traitors. We don’t even realize it.”

Malakin stroked the helmet, and his fingers gently touched the traces of the helmet, which were the traces left on the edge of the galaxy in the dark years, "We thought that after millions of years of sacrifice and After the battle, we finally ushered in redemption, we defeated the curse, defeated the misfortune, and finally became the true sons of angels, but the fate waiting for us is only deeper destruction. "

Before the Badab War, there were only more than 700 Weepers left. After that, there were only more than 300 people left in the battle group, and only three of the ten companies were left. The entire battle group Almost extinct.

"When you granted us salvation, we seized the opportunity thinking that we could be saved again. We embarked on a redemption expedition, but as before we only met the fate of destruction."

Malakin lowered his head and said, Vito knew that the Lamenters ran into the Tyranid invasion Hive Fleet during the expedition. The entire battle group was almost wiped out and would be destroyed at any time. They were just hanging on for a while. , lingering in that misfortune just like in the past thousands of years.

No brother is willing to accept them, the Emperor's Light has abandoned them, and at the end of this dark galaxy, only the fate of destruction awaits them, and that is only the length of time, their fate has been decided.

"Sir, you should have let us perish before the Hive Fleet. Perhaps only then could our sad fate come to an end. Perhaps only then could we truly die as the sons of angels."

Malakin lowered his head and lamented. He was depressed and depressed. Countless failures and misfortunes had already made him give up pursuing hope. All he was waiting for was destruction. When the destined destruction came, he could die as the son of an angel as much as possible. Rather than a bunch of damned people.

"Is it bad luck? Malakin, you said it was bad luck, but I don't think so." Vito said, looking at the burning Milky Way outside the window. He slowly turned around and looked at Malakin, who was sitting on the edge of the stairs behind him. Jin, he also raised his head and looked at the dazzling firelight shining from Vito's chest, as if the sun had finally risen from the horizon.

Vito stood in the light and looked back at him. The marshal looked at the blond chapter leader in the firelight. The latter also looked at him, his eyes looking at each other.

"I have lived for tens of thousands of years. The greatest benefit is that I have witnessed the rise and demise of many things. I have witnessed the beginning and end of the Great Rebellion. I have also seen with my own eyes how countless war groups betrayed the Emperor and the Empire. Especially in the Cursed Army, I witnessed with my own eyes that more than half of the battle groups chose to betray. They joined the Chaos enemies in the abyss. None of them rebelled on the spot, and half of them chose to betray in the future after returning. "

Vito stood under the firelight, staring at Malakin in front of him, "But you didn't. The Weeper returned from the abyss. You were rejected and treated differently by your brothers, and you were even exiled to the Milky Way. On the edge, if it were any other war group in the Cursed Founding Army, they would probably choose to rebel."

In fact, quite a few of the cursed warbands who returned after the establishment of the army betrayed because of this. The brothers were ostracized, exiled, and always carried the name of the curse. The hatred eventually continued to accumulate and became the fire of betrayal.

"But you didn't. You chose loyalty on the edge of the galaxy. For thousands of years, you have silently performed your duties. You were looked on coldly but did not choose to betray. I have witnessed that you suffered many casualties in order to save the civilians of a world. But you still fight to the death. If there is any real nobility in this world, it is your behavior. "

Vito raised his power claws, and the golden claws shone with the luster of fire. He raised his claws and stood towards Malakin, "Your father, Sanguinius also suffered from the curse. Blood thirst and The Black Fury cursed him and his descendants, but the Archangel did not fall because of it. He saved civilians on Terra and blocked the offensive of Chaos with his own body, allowing countless men and women to survive. "

"I have witnessed the most noble sacrifice and the most shameful betrayal. I was there to witness it with my own eyes. And you, Malakin, your noble actions are no less noble than your father's. Sanguinius is also I will be proud of you, and so will the Emperor."

"Emperor? Sir, why? Why do you know?" Malakin sat there and asked with a surprised look on his face. Vito smiled and looked at him with his hands behind his back, his smile in the fire. Shining like a light of redemption.

"You came back alive from the Abyss Crusade, but other chapters did not. I have never seen a chapter that faced the entire Tyranid Hive Fleet alone and came back alive. Malakin, what do you think of the fate of all this? Who lights the way?"

Malakin was silent for a moment, and after thinking for a while, he looked up in surprise at Vito in front of him. He walked under the light of the sun, and the dawn rose behind him, and the figure dispersed the entire side. In the darkness of the corridor, he walked slowly in front of Malakin, and the dazzling light behind him also shone on the face of the Chapter Leader.

Vito looked down at Malakin in front of him with a smile on his face, "When the Tyranid swarm arrived, why do you think I knew and led the fleet to help? Who told me? And who was there for me? What about the routes opened up in the shadows of subspace?”

Malakin looked up at Vito in front of him. He looked at him hesitantly, his eyes widening in the firelight. He knew what he meant, and he knew who the person who opened the way was.

"You don't care about the misfortune, but I call it luck. You have withstood all the tests. You have completed all the difficult tests set by the emperor himself perfectly, just like your father did back then. So, no, Malakin , you are not cursed, on the contrary, the Emperor's light shines upon you, and he has never shined so brightly."

Vito said, staring at the armor on Malakin that was illuminated by the fire. The armor shone with dazzling golden light, and the scarred armor suddenly seemed to shine like new, and the rays of the rising sun dissipated The darkness was broken, and the light from Vito's head lit up Malakin's face.

Vito looked at him, raised his arm in the darkness and stretched out to Malakin. The hand of the Emperor's power armor stretched out, as if it was his invitation, "The Emperor will not do anything. Meaningless things, Malakin, he saved you from destruction and used the suffering to temper you until you became his proudest blade, and you did."

"So there is no need for repentance or regret, Malakin, for the Light of the Emperor is never far away. He is never far away from you. He has only one eye on you."

Vito spread his palms and stretched out to Malakin, who also looked up at the god in front of him, Vito in the dawn. He looked down at Malakin and stretched out his hand, "You once bowed to the curse, now The Emperor wants you to stand up for all to see."

Malakin's face was lit up by the dazzling light, and his golden hair burned and shone like fire. Malakin lowered his head and looked at the helmet at hand, then suddenly raised his head and reached out to grab the emperor in the light. With his armored palm, Vito pulled Malakin up from the ground with all his strength.

The Chapter Master's bath stood in the rising light. The shining light dispelled all the darkness and doubt in his heart and surroundings. The Chapter Master of the Lamenters, Malakin, stared at Vito in front of him, he was proud He raised his head and stood before Vito with a pride he had never known before, standing as the son of an angel.

"From the ground of Baal to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, across the dark universe and the sea of ​​fire, the Weeper will forever swear to walk in the glory of the Emperor, no matter what trials he will arrange for us in the future, We will all live up to our vows.”

"Live up to it, the blood of Sanguinius."

Vito looked at the Chapter Leader in front of him with a smile and pressed his shoulder. Vito nodded to him affirmatively, and then turned to look at the floor-to-ceiling porthole behind him with a smile, "You know? You are indeed Fortunately, what you just said gave me an inspiration.”

"Get ready, Sons of the Angels, the Emperor's new trials have come."

"Let it be then, in the name of Sanguinius we will tread the path the Emperor has lighted for us."

Malakin and Vito stood side by side. They stood on the fire-lit observation deck, gazing at the burning starry sky in the distance. At the dusk line on the boundary of the planet, dawn rose.