Chapter 50: Harvest Day

"Chapter Leader."

By the time they emerged from Warehouse One, orbital workers and servitors had already begun transporting supplies from Warehouse Three. Space Marines had also arrived near the warehouses to ensure nothing was lost or left behind.

Watching the bustling scene, Loken suddenly tapped Sothian's arm lightly with his mechanical appendage.

The other man immediately looked down at him.

"I... have an opinion. Or, well, it can't exactly be called an opinion. It's an idea."

Loken led Sothian to a position away from the crowd and spoke in a low voice

"There are five warehouses here. Aside from One, Three, and Five, the other two are also full. They are packed with customized equipment from various Imperial Guard regiments across the Segmentum Pacis."

Sothian looked at Loken, understanding his meaning.

However, he said nothing and did not call him out; he simply waited to see what Loken had to say in the end.

"I think that given the Chapter's current dire situation, a single Strike Cruiser might not be enough. Um... although the *Glory Dagger* is only a Sword-class frigate, its construction time was short, and its various specifications are quite good."

"You are very bold, Magos Loken."

Hearing Sothian's words, Loken's shoulders flinched, but the subsequent remark allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.

"What reason do we have?"

"The reason is simple!"

Loken clapped his hands and said

"We'll say that although most of the traitors have been annihilated, some remnants managed to seize the *Glory Dagger*. We will pursue them into the Warp... let those fellows on the ground wait. Let them wait for a few hundred years."

"And what of the Imperial Navy on board?"

Sothian clearly remembered that this frigate belonged to the Imperial Navy's Sector Patrol Fleet and had nothing to do with the Adeptus Mechanicus here. Moving them could lead to severe consequences.

However, Loken was brimming with confidence.

"Rest assured, my Lord, I will handle this. I know the captain of the *Glory Dagger*. He is a man who feels unappreciated and marginalized, but his command skills and character are among the finest I have ever seen. The two of us are quite similar; deep down, he has no desire to return to the regular Navy sequence."

Sothian nodded, effectively agreeing to the matter.

His gaze then swept over the busy servitors and workers, including the shaken orbital guards.

"Since we have decided to make this a grand harvest, we also need to replenish our manpower."

Upon hearing this, Loken's eyes widened. He suddenly realized that what his mentor had said in the past—that once Space Marines released their self-restraint, they would become utterly terrifying—seemed to be true.

However, Sothian's next words eased Loken's mind slightly.

"Gather all the Guard commanders here and explain it to them. I wish to incorporate them in a relatively peaceful manner."

Sothian's approach of "politeness first, force second" allowed Loken's racing heart to settle. He immediately summoned the Guard commanders.

Because most high-ranking commanders had been turned into piles of rotting flesh in the central hub, the current command of the orbital defense force consisted mostly of former junior officers. Their status was only slightly higher than that of common soldiers, far below the middle and high-ranking officers of noble birth.

After Loken clarified his stance, at least half of the officers were willing to join the Astral Knights' expedition; they, too, had grown tired of being driven by those useless nobles.

The remaining half were hesitant at first, but under Loken's intimidation—primarily by emphasizing the impending judgment and accountability—they quickly changed their stance and decided to join the Astral Knights Chapter as part of the expedition.

In this manner, the orbital military forces were completely brought under control. The remaining workers and servitors had no choice in the matter; they could only be forced to become the foundation of the expedition.

Sothian was not merciful enough to care for every group. Such was the state of the Imperium, and he was a part of that very system.

When they learned they would be leaving their homes for the unknown void, many workers wept silently or broke into outright sobs.

The Astartes merely stood at a distance. Behind their black lenses, grim gazes swept over every individual, screening them to see who was suitable for the mid-decks and who was destined for the sunless slave decks of the lower levels...

While the workers and servitors sweated profusely moving supplies, Sothian, accompanied by Loken and Farzad's squad, boarded the bridge of the *Glory Dagger*.

Due to the previous invasion alarm, the *Glory Dagger's* engines had already been ignited in an attempt to flee the starport. However, because of the appearance of the Astral Knights Chapter, the invasion had been halted, and the ship had ceased its risky maneuver.

When Sothian requested to board and meet the captain, the response was not what he expected: they agreed immediately. After all, a Chapter Master of a Space Marine Chapter was a figure of immense prestige; even a Sector Patrol Commander might only encounter one a handful of times.

To meet Sothian was an incomparable and sublime honor for the captain of the *Glory Dagger*.

In an attempt to maintain decorum, he had even hurriedly pulled a few crew members who knew how to play instruments to organize a makeshift military band.

As Sothian stepped onto the bridge of the *Glory Dagger*, a burst of discordant music drifted toward him. Its poor quality caused Sothian to glance sideways, only to find a group of sailors whose faces were drenched in nervous sweat.

Loken simply covered his ears.

"Disgraceful, disgraceful! Greller Hodges, have you no shame!"

The name Loken uttered was that of the frigate's captain.

On the main corridor leading to the command seat of the bridge, a middle-aged man with a brown beard, dressed in a crisp Navy uniform, stood on a red carpet leading a group of high-ranking officers.

Upon seeing the towering figure of the Space Marine, Hodges immediately straightened his chest and performed a standard Naval salute.

"Greller Hodges, along with all members of the *Glory Dagger*, pays respects to the noble Chapter Master Sothian!"

Simultaneously, the military band ceased playing, and everyone on the bridge saluted Sothian in unison.

This was a highly disciplined crew; Sothian made a mental note of the scene.

"Captain Hodges."

Sothian walked up to him, bowed his head slightly, and offered praise

"Your handling of this invasion was very swift."

"You flatter me, my Lord!"

Hodges spoke with a strained face and a booming voice, as if that were the only way he could find the courage to stand before an Astartes.

Then, he stepped aside, gesturing toward the rear right, where another officer stood, looking extremely nervous and appearing to be in his thirties.

"This is my Executive Officer, Danilo Rimmer."

"Greetings, my Lord!"

"And this is my First Officer."

"May the Emperor protect you. It is a profound honor to meet you, my Lord."

"And this is our ship's Tech-Priest."

Five meters behind Hodges stood a Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus. He appeared to be around the same age as Loken, but he possessed significantly more mechanical components, and his right eye had been replaced by a bionic.

Upon seeing Sothian, he gave a slight nod and spoke in a very stiff voice

"A profound honor."

However, when his gaze fell upon Loken, he lowered his eyes.

[End of Chapter]