Warhammer: Start with a dog

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Just earlier yesterday, Lord Creed of the High Castle was still going from anger to helplessness because of the news that the command had just received about the early exhaustion of several ration warehouses in the city.

Obviously, someone is secretly making supply cards that are difficult to distinguish from fake and using them to make a fortune in the war. Although their troops have discovered the signs, the command now has neither time nor manpower to sneak into the first floor of each nest city. Capture these daring bastards layer by layer - all the troops, and here I mean, all the troops that Creed can command and obey the command - have received their own tasks and are being sent to Block the enemy in the expected direction of the Clough theater or prepare in place to wait for the next order.

Therefore, the current security level in most hives and bastion fortresses is almost at the lowest controllable level, and soldiers are only used to maintain basic order on the streets - and, obviously, these bastards have discovered this, and Know you won't get caught.

In this case, based on the current emergency ration inventory calculated by the Munitions Center, they can only decide to redistribute everyone's food quota from next week, which means that the actual amount of rations distributed is higher than the amount they distributed to retired soldiers and their families. They had fewer cards on their cards - Creed, who had confirmed this, had planned to tell the truth to the people and soldiers of Cadia during a routine general broadcast.

But the Minister of Logistics, Conskavan Reko, and his own flag-bearing adjutant, Garland Kell, both jumped up to stop him.

Although Reko's reassuring words such as "You can't tell the truth to these stupid civilians" have limited effect on Creed, Garland Kyle, his trusted sergeant and deputy, has been with him since he joined the army. Even a tough guy like Creed couldn't completely reject the words of this veteran who had always been with him and trusted him.

But Garland Kyle unexpectedly agreed more with the words of the Minister of Logistics this time, and even the Supreme Political Commissar of Zabien did the same.

"You can't just tell the people so bluntly that you want to reduce their original rations by 40% or even 30%!"

"But it's a fact that we don't have enough food in the warehouse. If we still want to ensure 90% of the ration supply for soldiers on the battlefield, we can only reduce 20% of the rations in the rear hive from next week! Don't you think Tell me, Konskavan, you still have a full granary hidden somewhere in the Clough Plain? Then I must respectfully call you 'you' from today on!"

"Ah, indeed, I don't have it. If I had it, I would definitely take it out now and change it for a hereditary title for my family."

"So you're going to replace these fake cards that are made from real masters?"

"Unfortunately, we cannot stop printing this version of ration cards now. There are too many ration cards that need to be replaced, authenticity verification will be troublesome on the front line, and the cycle is too long, which will cause greater chaos. Why do we What if we don’t end the state of emergency early? This way we can allow the transport fleet and merchant fleet to replenish our warehouses, and the matter will be resolved quickly and quietly.”

"I'm telling you! It's not over yet! The emergency won't end until Abaddon's location is confirmed! Why can't I tell the people the truth? They need to know why they need to starve!"

Supreme Political Commissar Zabien had to join in at this time.

"I think what Konskavan is saying is, putting aside the state of emergency, you have to be gentle and tactful about cutting rations. We can reduce rations, but you can't tell people you're going to do that. Do it, and you can't cut it by 20% in one go. It's a good idea to cut it by 2% every other day... Poor Porska, may the Emperor bless his soul! Governor Porska used to go to war every time. The reduction of rations was never announced or explained on the radio. The people of Cardia have become accustomed to such small reductions. They will get used to it. Ursaka, don't worry. If you suddenly change, this place will last for ten years. It took centuries of practice to create unrest and confusion among these people.”

She paused and added, "Besides, it's not a good thing to admit to the people that we have lost some control over the hive and factory district, Ursaka."

"That's right." The logistics minister's stubby but nimble fingers tapped and scratched simultaneously on the four data pads connected to his skull interface. These calculations overloaded his mind so much that afterimages even appeared on his fingers. A cherubim bearing his family's crest floated beside him, wiping the sweat from Konskavan's forehead with a handkerchief.

"If you do this, the greater possibility is that veterans and workers who cannot take home enough rations will start storming our military distribution center warehouse, killing guards and logistics officials, and finally looting the warehouse and you can't Find all the criminals...this is Cadia, everyone has military training! Creed! You don't understand these mobs!"

"They are not a mob!" the Lord of the High Castle roared, the sound of his military boots and rude voice louder than those of the Minister of Logistics and the Supreme Political Commissar, and his cigar smoke spurted out from his nostrils and sprayed on the faces of the two men, "We are now It's a grasshopper on a rope! We have to work together! If they have to go hungry to provide us with ammunition, logistics and other things, when their children have to go hungry and drink water to survive dinner, then I will It’s my duty to tell them what happened! It’s an honest feeling! As you said, I will give it to them!”

The Minister of Logistics and the Supreme Political Commissar looked at each other and each found an excuse to leave. The former twisted his fingers and looked very nervous, while the latter frowned and seemed to be considering whether the military police and bullets needed to kill people this time were enough. .

Garland Kyle saw them off and returned to the command room.

"They're right, sir, and you know it."

The Lord of the Supreme Castle opened his eyes wide, "Kyle! I thought you were the person who could understand me best...you..."

"I have a family member who works in a munitions rationing center. I have been very aware of how wartime rationing works since I was a child. There is nothing wrong with Zabien's proposal. If you reduce it a little bit every day, people will only think it is the loss on the road or in the middle. There are some accidents during the unloading process, or some warehouses are bombed. They will understand and can tolerate such accidents silently. They are completely accustomed to such accidents during wartime. After a while, as long as they don't starve to death, then Just endure the hardship and get through it, but you can't tell them directly that you, Lord Creed, ordered to snatch half or more of the starch scones or protein porridge and soup directly from their dinner table. The reason for all this is that you and your men failed to suppress the bandits. They will not thank you for your honesty, they will only blame you."

His most trusted lieutenant calmly looked at the Supreme Lord with a red face and an incredible look on his face, and walked over and took away the cigar he was holding, "Don't smoke too much, you need to rest."

"Can……"

"If you were just the commander of the Eighth Regiment, a colonel, or even a major general, I would not stop you from doing this. But, sir, I have known you since you were a soldier not long ago. Your background... is the greatest One of the problems, but not even the whole. You were appointed too hastily, sir, and you did not have time to manage the Rogue Trader convoys and to work with the other Generals, the Imperial Navy, the Adeptus Astartes, and the Daughters of the Emperor over the years. "

Kyle glanced at Creed, "You are now the guardian of Cadia, you are the Lord of the Supreme Castle, you are the nominal supreme commander of all the armies on the planet of Cadia and in orbit, you are the faith of the resisters, you It is a symbol in the hearts of the people. Your current image cannot be tarnished at all, because if you still want a glimmer of victory, then you now have no more willpower to be the honest person you want to be. "

"Damn it." The Lord of the Supreme Castle's tense muscles relaxed. He grabbed his military cap, held it tightly, and then threw the crumpled hat on the floor full of cigarette butts. "Put me through to Conskavan."

"Tell him that you agree with Commissar Zabien's suggestion? There won't be any extra content in the broadcast?"

"Bloody Throne's ass deserves a boot, yes, tell him..."

A communication, a communication from orbit, flashed with an ominous highest level of red light. Both men in the room turned their attention to it.

"It seems I can't rest."

Kyle cautiously walked over quickly and sat in front of the sender and receiver to interpret the encrypted transmission documents. Then he suddenly raised his head, walked out and asked the secretaries, orderlies or other officers waiting outside to go further.

"What's wrong?"

The noncommissioned officer did not speak, hurriedly returned and closed the door, and then began to transcribe these new data files onto a data pad with the highest level of encryption.

"There has been news about Admiral Qualen's guard fleet, which has been missing."

"What?" Creed straightened up from his chair, "Where are they now? We need-"

"There is only one ship, only one. It is the Garden of Pierax. It is the Garden of Pierax. It was seriously damaged. Their subspace jump was too hasty and they encountered an attack. The messenger ship of the alert fleet was lost on the way. Three-quarters of the way through, the Pierax Park itself was doomed, as warp creatures damaged their reactors and leaked radiation, killing most of the crew. They found only one Courier Officer alive. A second lieutenant, he insisted that it was the order of the admiral and the captain. He had to tell you the news personally. It was too risky to use communication. But he died before he could land. Fortunately, there was someone with a video to serve the skull and medical treatment. The soldiers’ cardiotonic pills are enough.”

"Quick! Let me see this video!" Creed lit a new cigar, his voice trembling - not because of fear, but because of the excitement of a judgment being confirmed, "I bet he brought it The news must be about Abaddon’s whereabouts!”

"Okay, sir."

Kyle checked the packets one last time, making sure they had not been read by anyone on the ground, and pressed a button to start the video.

A face with wrinkled skin, dark complexion, missing teeth and hair appears on the screen, and the servo skull is photographed from top to bottom.

——This lieutenant seems a little too old——No, no, no, his skin is peeling off rapidly, and the two people watching realized in the next second that he was suffering from the consequences of unimaginable severe radiation, and he actually managed to hold on here.

"..."

The lieutenant opened his mouth, and then the skin around his mouth broke because of this action, and black blood and tissue fluid began to flow. Kyle realized what he said, but the voice was too soft, so he immediately fell back and adjusted the volume to the highest.

"... Witness... Too much... Destruction... Beams..." Then the tortured messenger let out a hoarse last sigh and twitched. A medic's hand in an anti-radiation and chemical protective suit appeared in the camera and gave him another shot of cardiac stimulant.

"... eyes... overflowing... multiple... codes Shattered Black! Shattered Black——!"

The poor man opened his eyes wide, his cloudy eyeballs, emulsified into white, almost rolled out, and he spurted large pieces of black blood and internal organs from the depths of his throat. The camera blurred, and then the video ended.

"We have agreed with Admiral Quarren on several codes to indicate the size of the attacking force." Kyle said calmly, "Shattered Red is an enemy fleet of the expeditionary force, heading towards Cadia, and Shattered Black is a higher level, it is..."

Cred put the cigar butt in his mouth and bit it, and it was obvious that the commander's mind was working at super speed.

"…Sound the alarm, highest level of emergency. Then call everyone, I mean, Sage Corran of the Adeptus Mechanicus, all representatives of the Adeptus Astartes who have arrived, the leaders of the Sisters of Battle, the Admirals of the Imperial Navy, representatives of the Cadian Military Council, the Admirals of the Cadian Air Force, logistics, political commissars, and inquisitors! - Everyone! I need an emergency meeting to be held immediately with representatives of all teams that can move and shoot!"

"Immediately, sir."

The flag-bearing sergeant nodded, and at the same time walked to the other end of the room, inserted his fingertips into the dial and quickly dialed one by one.

Soon, because of this unexpected alarm that finally landed, the main conference room of Creed's Supreme Castle was filled with attendees of different sizes, clothes, and colors for the first time.

Thanks to the selfless sacrifice of Admiral Quaren and his fleet sailors and the tenacious will of the messenger, the attendees knew the arrival of the Great Predator one day earlier than gangsters like Salva Gent or ordinary guards like Captain Marda Helske.

In theory, every minute and every second wasted before the participants of this meeting make a decision, reach a consensus, and set off the troops is so precious.

But if Robert Guilliman was here, or even a certain Archon of the Kalosini Dynasty was here, he would definitely be furious or start calling some irresistible people to appear on the scene to get rid of this time-wasting event.

Unfortunately, these two adults are not here at the moment.

Therefore, before this life-threatening emergency military meeting against the Black Expedition Fleet of the Great Plunderer began, Sergeant Kell, as the most shrewd and capable lieutenant of the Supreme Lord of Creed, had to rely on an additional etiquette expert from the Ministry of the Interior to guide and help him so that this meeting could start smoothly. The urgent task that had to be performed was to arrange the seating order at the conference table properly.