Chapter 320 The Rise of the Primarch: The High Lords of the Terran Council
Loyal beginning report: Dear readers of Terra Supreme Council, in the name of the Immortal Emperor, I hereby inform you that I, the updater personally selected by the Holy Emperor, was shamelessly attacked by Nurgle! (Ma accent) I have a little problem with my body. I have to go to the hospital for a small operation this afternoon. If the problem is not serious, I should not need to be hospitalized (there is no bed for me to lie on), so I will be able to resume updating soon. However, there is only one update today, but it is also a large single chapter (more than 7K). I respectfully ask for your understanding. If you are not satisfied with it, it is all Nurgle's fault! So adults, please vote for the monthly ticket, recommend, and subscribe to help me restore the double update of Nurgle Garden tomorrow after the house raid (physical raid). I wish you all a happy reading today and praise the light of the Emperor! Loyalty! Sincerity!
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If you ask where the center of power in the Empire is, it must be Terra. There is no dispute about this issue. But if you ask where the center of power in Terra is, it is not the Imperial Palace. After all, the Emperor has been on the throne for 10,000 years and has never spoken a word to his people, and the guards responsible for conveying the Emperor's will rarely leave the Imperial Palace.
So in fact, the core of the Empire's politics and all rights is here. This magnificent meeting hall located on the edge of the Imperial Palace, surrounded by countless solid defense lines and gorgeous palaces, is the Terra High Lords' Council Hall. This is the real power center of the Empire.
It is the highest administrative agency of the Empire. Countless orders are issued from here. Key issues related to the survival of the Empire and all mankind are also discussed here. All powers of administration, legislation, military and state religion are controlled here, and led by the leaders of the 12 most powerful organizations in the Empire sitting in the council hall.
Each of them controls one of the most powerful institutions in the Empire, with millions, even tens of millions, hundreds of millions of servants and subordinates assisting and obeying their orders. They are absolutely second to none in the Empire, and these powerful high lords rule the Empire in the name of the Emperor.
Most of them rarely meet with the outside world, and even rarely meet each other. Except for the routine meetings here, these high-ranking officials and leaders of the Empire who have the highest power in the Empire and can decide the life and death of tens of millions of people in a blink of an eye will hide in the shadows, just like the twelve shadow leaders hiding in the shadows behind the huge body of the Empire.
But there are exceptions. For example, now, most people will attend the routine meetings of the High Lords' Council. They will enter the huge round table under the huge dome and sit on the chairs corresponding to each high lord. There are twelve high lords and twelve chairs. The chair at the front of the central axis of the round table is always empty. It is a symbolic seat reserved for the Emperor. But considering that the old Emperor is unlikely to stand up from the throne and sit here to participate in the meeting, that position is actually reserved for the Imperial Regent appointed by the Emperor.
But the last time a regent sat on it was when the Primarch of the Ultramarines, the thirteenth son of the Emperor, Lord Robert Gilman, participated in the meeting ten thousand years ago. That was a legend that was so long ago that it could not be verified.
Angvar sat at a corner of the huge round table, his elbows resting on the armrests of the black wooden chair on both sides. Above his head, on the upper side of the chair, the letter i symbolizing the Inquisition was branded and engraved.
Angwa, the Supreme Judge of the Tribunal and a member of the High Lords Council, scanned the table. His eyes scanned the faces of the old high lords. Each of them looked quite old, with wrinkled skin and thick and obvious lines on their faces. No matter how advanced the life extension technology was, these old people who had ruled the empire for nearly a thousand years could not hide the fact that they were aging.
Angwa was one of the youngest people here. He hummed in a low voice. He looked at these old lords. For thousands of years, they spent a huge amount of resources and wealth to purchase the most advanced life extension technology, and tried their best to extend their lives and extend the time they continued to control the supreme power of the empire. Some of them even implanted a large number of advanced implants into their bodies when the life extension technology reached the end and was almost exhausted and ineffective. The densely exposed nutrition pipelines and equipment cables made them look like the colleagues of the Casting General.
How much can a person desire power? For the sake of power, they even transformed themselves to the point where they looked almost unrecognizable as human beings. It was as if they were monsters from those bad fables, twisted and deformed, covered with countless steel and indescribable derivatives. It was almost difficult to see their appearance. It was hard to believe that the person sitting there was a person, not a terrible alien.
"It seems that some of our colleagues did not attend the meeting." The Lord Councillor, who sat on the left side of the Emperor's seat, said in a low voice that was almost unbelievable as belonging to a human. Only half of his face was human, and the rest was covered by the machinery that continued his ridiculously long life.
"Yes, Minister Humphrey, our colleagues, Mars Casting General Morgans and Chief Judge Gordon of the Ministry of Justice, and Master of the Assassin Court Eva did not attend the meeting."
The Rogue Trader sitting at the other end of the round table said this on behalf of the lord. He looked much younger than the others. This was not surprising. After all, people in the Rogue Trader profession were generally not too old. They were different from other seniors. Lords can control everything while living in the high walls and shadows of Terra. They need to sail across the star sea to gain power. Anyone who leaves the stars and merchant ships will be quickly replaced. The same is true for the representatives of the high lords of the Rogue Traders, so he He rarely attends meetings of the High Lords Council, and this time he was lucky enough to be on Terra.
Although to be precise, he came to take refuge in Terra during the crazy subspace storm and the raging war, but Angvar knew that everyone here came to avoid disaster. There is no difference between them, only the degree of shamelessness.
"Have they told the reason? The meeting of lords is not an insignificant meeting of our respective departments." Minister Humphrey continued to ask in a hoarse voice, and the mechanical eyeball on his right eye turned to look at the participants at the table. People, when the person who spoke spoke the first word, his mechanical eyeballs immediately turned away.
Angvar cleared his throat. He leaned on his chair and looked at Minister Humphrey across from him. "Grand Judge Gordon is busy with the issue of riots across Terra. He and his members of the Legal Department are extremely busy." , had no time to attend to the meeting, and Master Eva was busy arranging to assassinate the leaders of the rioters, and other things. "
"Something else?" Humphrey asked, rolling his mechanical eyeballs, his voice sounding like he was scratching with a knife on a piece of sandpaper.
Angvar shrugged helplessly, looking quite worried. He had to say that if he didn't work as an inquisitor, he must be a good actor, and his talent was quite suitable for his job. He was worthy of being the leader of the inquisition. One responsibility.
"You understand, the Assassin Court never tells us what they are doing. This is an old practice, and the same is true for our friend General Forge. Even if the Martian does say it, we can't understand it. I guess he is working on his own machine now. If you want to know what is in the temple, you can send someone to ask after the meeting."
Minister Humphrey looked at Angvar and was silent for a moment. Then he slowly turned to another empty chair, which was the position of the commander of the Forbidden Army. Of course, it was no surprise that it was empty, for the Forbidden Army. The leader has not participated in a meeting of high lords for thousands of years, and everyone is used to the chair being empty, just like the emperor's seat is empty.
"Maybe I will, but now let's start today's topic, Ms. Natasha, can the Astropathic Institute contact the outer fleets? Especially the Tauren Chapter, Asterion Morlock Chapter Has the Master received an astrological message from the Council summoning him to return to Terra?"
"No, Minister Humphrey, not yet. According to your request, we communicated with the Tauren Chapter to convey your recall order. However, in the chaos of the subspace storm, I cannot determine whether the star language is distorted. I The only thing that is certain is that Chapter Master Moloch received the message. His last message was that he would lead the entire regiment back to Terra immediately, and then he lost contact with us due to the storm."
"The Navigation Institute believes with us that Captain Moloch and his Tauren Chapter, like the Imperial fleet on the periphery that also received news of the return of defense, are being blocked by the Chaos army outside the solar system and are struggling to move towards Terra. "But we don't know how long it will take before they break through the storms and endless foes that hinder the all-seeing eye the Emperor has given us."
The blind Lady Astropath spoke softly, her voice like frivolous feathers floating in the air. Her silver hair was braided behind her head and she sat in her seat wearing a simple gray and white Astropath robe.
"The storm is still so powerful that it can swallow up all souls and wills. Several Astropaths under my command who tried to penetrate the storm to contact the Tauren Chapter and the outer fleet had their souls swallowed. I ordered them to be killed before they lost control. They are executed, and we must thank the Emperor for keeping us safe on that throne so that all is well on Terra."
The pope of the national religion beside her raised his old, almost withered arm and shouted hoarsely, "Praise the light of the emperor! We must pray to him. Only he can save us from fire and water now! We must stay By his side, in the palace, only in this way can I gain his favor, and I am his chosen one!"
Angwa looked at the aging Pope. His body was almost as old as a dead tree, and his thin face had also drained away his spirit. His spirit was extremely disordered, and he would often shout out some illogical words. , like all old men, but even so the Pope refused to give up his rights. He had occupied the position of the Pope of the State Church for almost a thousand years. In order to keep that position, he could and did do many things that only heretics and traitors could do. things done.
Whenever he does those shameful things, such as being the pope of the state religion, since he has intensively united with the Genestealer sect hiding deep in the Terra Hive, and caused massacres when his church's competitors are giving sermons in the Middle Nest, He slaughtered the priest and all the listeners around him, just to keep his position.
And whenever he did this kind of thing, he would lock himself in his church and pray crazily to the emperor. Angwar heard the monks passing by mention that the Pope's words were almost like a madman, and in countless He kept jumping between questions without any logic or reason. He was still crazy, no doubt about it.
"Yes, Your Holiness, we should indeed stay with the Emperor and stay within the high walls of the palace, but we also need food and all supplies so that we and the other "Emperor's Chosen" can wait. Until the storm dissipates and the Emperor's redemption comes."
Humphrey said as he raised his withered arm, with dense hoses inserted between the bones of his hand. He stretched his thin fingers towards the Lord Marshal of the Astra Militarum sitting at the opposite table. He was also quite old. There are countless hoses and external devices connected to his body. If it weren't for the large military uniform, you wouldn't even recognize him as a person.
"Marshal Desmond, how much food have your soldiers collected? Is it enough for us?"
"I ordered my soldiers to collect a lot of supplies. The current statistics are enough for us to use for eighty years. However, considering past experience, the duration of the subspace storm may be as long as a hundred years, and the current population consumption of Terra In terms of quantity, our reserves are still far from enough.”
Desmond, who was like a mechanical beast, said dullly, and the Pope of the State Church, who was a few seats away from him, raised his arms and shouted. He stretched his hands to the mural above his head, the emperor's mural.
"The Emperor will save their souls! We are sending them on the road to redemption, that pure death! They will go to his side and become eternity beside the throne! How I envy them, they are about to be redeemed !”
"But unfortunately, Pope, our salvation has not yet come yet, so the marshal continues to order your soldiers to collect supplies and store supplies until they are enough to be used in the palace for hundreds of years." Humphrey pointed at Desmond and hoarse He said, and the latter nodded slightly, and his head, which was already filled with countless pipes and cables, shook with the swing.
"But Minister Humphrey, this will lead to more rebellions. There are already riots in Terra. The Ministry of Justice and the Defense Force may not be able to stop the people who have completely lost all food and water. They will besiege the palace in the desperate situation of survival, and even Many judges and guardsmen from the Ministry of Justice will also join them."
Admiral Bona, the naval lord sitting next to the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of Military Affairs, said that he and Angwa looked about the same age, very young and in their prime. He was a newcomer, someone who had just joined the High Lords. As a member of Parliament, he has not yet lost his conscience, so he has always been opposed to plundering supplies like that, and refused to let his marines join in suppressing the riots. Instead, he devoted himself to the work of defending Terra.
Minister Humphrey looked at Lord Bona and was silent for a moment. His mechanical eyes turned to look at Marshal Desmond beside him, "Marshal, do you have a way to deal with the dilemma that the Admiral is worried about?"
"Yes, I suggest that the naval fleet conduct orbital bombing on the hive areas where the rebels are currently concentrated on Terra, and eliminate all the rebels in the hive areas. If the final bombing results are not as expected, order the fleet to conduct a global Bomb, carry out carpet bombing of the area outside the palace, and eliminate all rebels."
Angvar frowned immediately after hearing Desmond's crazy plan, and the Admiral stood up in shock. He slammed the table and looked at Desmond beside him, "The Emperor! Are you crazy?! Do you know how many innocent people who did not participate in the riot will die? The Ministry of Justice and the Defense Force are still outside!
"We must sacrifice them so that the rebels will not discover our plan. When your fleet is finished bombing, Terra will be safe, and the remaining food can also be supplied to part of your fleet." Desmond He said in a cold voice, seemingly not feeling any discomfort at all because of his extremely crazy plan. He might not even realize what he just said.
"What about the rest of the fleet? What do you want me to do with them? Order the naval fleets to fire on each other and sink all the "extra" fleets? Are you out of your mind?! This way we won't be able to defend Terra!" Bona The admiral stood up and punched the table. He looked at Sesmon next to him and couldn't believe what he just said.
"We can rely on the palace's void shield and orbital defense system to hold on. The palace saved the elects within the walls during the Terra Defense War 10,000 years ago. It will do the same this time. In order to protect the emperor, we must Do this.”
Desmond said coldly, and his mechanically modified syllables were spoken word by word. This made Bona on the side almost widen his eyes and look at the Marshal of the Astra Militarum in front of him. He could not imagine how he said it. That crazy plan, and at the same time, the pope of the state religion next to him continued to shout with those crazy words.
The Pope waved his withered arms and shouted, "This is the Emperor's will! We must sacrifice the lamb! Yes, yes, so that the true elect can live! Just as it is recorded in the Book of Psalms Such! Sacrifice! Only sacrifice can bring salvation, our salvation!”
"You're crazy, Pope! You're completely crazy! Minister Humphrey, you're not going to adopt their plan, are you?" Boehner looked at Minister Humphrey angrily, who turned his mechanical eyes and looked in front of him Bona, he was silent for a moment and then gently put his hands on the table.
"It's the only way, Admiral, we have to do it, there's no other way."
"This will cause us to abandon and lose all orbital defenses, as well as ground anti-aircraft weapon positions! We can only huddle in the palace and wait for fate! Especially since we are unable to prevent the black fleet from moving the planet killers or similar star destroyers Once we reach Terra's orbit, we will have to watch as they issue an extermination order to Terra! This will not protect the Emperor at all, it will only prolong the inevitable destruction!"
Boehner slammed his fist on the table. He turned his head and looked around at the other members of the Council. "What about you? Don't tell me that you agree with this plan. This is heresy! This is a naked betrayal of the empire!"
"Our first duty is to protect the Emperor, Admiral, so I think maybe this is our only choice. I also feel sorry for the sacrifice of those outside the palace, but under the current situation we have no choice." The leader of the Rogue Traders. He leaned on his seat and spread his hands.
Bona looked at them in disbelief. The naval lord stood in front of his position and looked around at the people around him. These peaks of imperial power sat silently in their positions, and some even nodded. recognized.
Bona looked at Angvar, who was sitting silently and frowning. The Lord of the Tribunal shook his head slightly, and Admiral Bona was stunned for a moment after watching the action. , but before he could think or react, Humphrey stood up. Humphrey, who had almost completely turned into a machine, stood up, and the life-extension mechanical parts of his body vibrated and rattled.
"I think that's the opinion of the whole Council, go ahead and do it, Admiral, and remember that if you refuse to do it, there are many people in the Admiralty who will be more than happy to carry out the Council's orders in order to do their duty as Lords of the Admiralty. "
Humphrey looked at Boehner across the table and threatened him with an extremely cold voice. His meaning was very obvious. If Boehner refused to execute, they would replace Boehner, and then countless people in the Admiralty would be jealous. The generals in the Navy leadership position replaced Boehner, and then they carried out the order. Nothing would change the outcome, except that Boehner himself might not have any vital signs by then.
That was a naked threat. Boehner looked at the shameful Minister of State and clenched his fists. Humphrey looked at Boehner across the table with his half-human face, half-machine face, "You understand. "Admiral, do you understand your responsibilities?"
Boehner looked at Humphrey clenching his fists. He wished he could go over and cut that bastard into pieces right now, but he couldn't do that. He knew that if he refused on the spot now, there would be a high probability that there would be someone loyal to the High Lord Council outside the door. The guard rushed in and shot himself in the head, and then as a matter of course, another person took his place.
"Do you understand? Admiral."
"I"
Before Bona could speak, suddenly a holographic image flashed on the round table next to him. It was the image of the guard commander in the parliament hall. His bust flashed on the table. The commander saluted the high lords present. "I'm sorry to disturb you all, but adults you must evacuate immediately. We are under attack."
"Attack? Whose attack?" Humphrey asked, looking at the image in front of him. The commander in the image immediately lowered his head. There was a burst of continuous explosions next to him, and the flickering firelight instantly illuminated his head. Faces, the shining flames were also projected on the projection, illuminating the faces of the surrounding lords.
They all stood up and looked at the image in front of them, which contained intensive gunshots. The captain lowered his body and looked to one side. Another officer appeared on the edge of the image. He ran forward and shouted loudly. report.
"The barricades are down and the rebels are storming the parliament!"
The officer's report shocked all the high lords. They looked at each other in confusion. Humphrey and Desmond looked at each other and then looked at the holographic projection again, "Who! Who is the rebel?!"
"Students of loyalty, sir, they are students of loyalty, and the Emperor is above! It's forbidden!" Before the commander finished speaking, the image suddenly flickered and disappeared. The high lords present looked at each other, but soon They reacted. Although most of them were old, their minds were still sharp. After all, their bodies could age, but their minds could not. If they aged, there would be no need for the rebels to kill them. There were jealous lords everywhere in their department. The internal rebels who are in position will kill them and replace them.
"Nasimov! It must be him! The Emperor! This idiot still doesn't understand our good intentions. He can obviously join us and survive until the reinforcements arrive." Desmond, who looked like an armored beast, stood up and said, beside him The pope also stood up dancing, shouting crazily and waving his arms.
"Heretics! They are all heretics! Traitors! Kill them all! We must punish them on behalf of the Emperor!" The Pope shouted, but Desmond was not so crazy, but immediately looked at Humphrey on the side of the Emperor's seat minister.
"The signal has just been cut off, which means that the communication between the entire parliament and the outside world has been cut off. We must evacuate immediately and evacuate here before the rebels attack!"
"I agree. Let's go." Humphrey said as he left his seat. He dragged his bloated body and staggered towards the gate. The high lords behind him followed him. They bypassed the round table and followed Humphrey to the exit of the parliament hall, but they were blocked before they reached the door.
Angvar walked to the door from one side with his hands behind his back. He stood in front of the door and blocked the way of the high lords. Desmond looked at the Lord of the Tribunal who was blocking the way and stopped. He looked at the leader of the Tribunal in front of him and was silent for a moment before swinging his arms violently, "Get out of the way! Lord Angvar, get out of the way immediately!"
"I'm afraid that's not possible. My lords, you have to stay here." Angvar stood at the door motionlessly blocking the exit. He stood with his hands behind his back and looked at the people in front of him calmly. Desmond looked at the leader of the Tribunal in front of him and frowned suddenly.
"You organized the rebellion, right? Angwa! You are in the same group with the rebels outside!" Desmond pointed at the Grand Inquisitor in front of him and shouted, and the Pope beside the Astra Militarum Marshal became even more crazy. He pointed at Angwa with his skinny arm and screamed.
"Heretic! Traitor! Kill him! Kill him! Guards! Kill this heretic!" The Pope roared crazily, and Angwa smiled. He looked at the crazy Pope in front of him and even had a little sympathy.
"No, they won't come in, because they will hinder the person who wants to see you, and you all have to stay here and wait for his reception."
As soon as the Grand Inquisitor finished speaking, the lords looked at each other, and then Humphrey slightly raised his semi-mechanized face and looked at Angwa.
"Who? Who wants to see us here?"
"A god."
"Lie!" The Pope shouted, and he walked forward with his golden cane, waving his dry finger at Angwa in front of the door, "There is only one God in this world! That is the Emperor! Apart from him, only he can receive us!"
"Oh, believe me, my dear Pope, you are absolutely right." Angwa smiled and stood in front of the door and slowly raised his arms. The door behind him also opened at this time.
"He is the voice of the Emperor, the representative of the supreme will. Now, be received by him." Angwa said as he stepped back a few steps to the side. A tall figure walked into the door behind him, and a giant with a golden halo burning behind his head stepped into the parliament hall.
Dozens of imperial guards walked in behind him. The commander of the imperial guards, Trajan, wearing white lion fur, led dozens of golden armored guards to stand behind him. The imperial guards held shining crystal halberds and gathered behind the shining giant. The golden giant stood in front of the high lords, looking down at them silently.
Angvar stood beside him and said loudly, standing in front of the imperial guards and raised his arms, announcing loudly like a messenger of God, "Kneel down, kneel down to the Supreme Marshal of the Emperor, because my lords, your day of judgment has come."
The high lords looked at the tall golden man, who was staring at them, staring at them with his golden eyes.