69novels Page 124
Page 124
They are people you can work with and people you can trust.
"Long time no see, both of you battle group leaders."
Lynch spoke first, extending one hand. His voice was very gentle, like the spring sunshine in a garden world, yet it naturally carried a kind of inherent authority. It was the voice of a superior, the voice of a charismatic, natural leader.
Both battle commanders were taken aback, and for a moment, they even forgot to respond to this ancient etiquette.
However, as the leader of the battle group, although he was shocked by the change in the person in front of him, he quickly adapted. Shark and Scorpion extended their hands to shake hands with Lin Qi, and as they did so, their hearts were once again stirred.
The hand that grasped mine was strong and firm, covered in calloused skin. Even just the friction against that rough skin told the person holding it that the hand belonged to a battle-hardened warrior.
“Long time no see.” Ortiz took a deep breath. “How should I address you now? Chosen One, or Commander Lynch?”
A seemingly joking remark instantly lightened the atmosphere. Lin Qi smiled slightly, looked at the two people in front of him, and spoke slowly.
"It's up to you to decide. Chosen One or Chapter Leader, it's just a title. If you're willing to respond to my Star Language and bring your troops to Badab, then in my eyes, we only have one identity: an unbreakable alliance."
"It is an honor to have you here. In that case, I will address you as Commander Lynch, just as you address me as Commander Tiberius."
"Of course, Lord of Shadows."
Lin Qi blinked and deliberately said Tiberius's nickname. The latter was slightly taken aback, and then a very wicked but inexplicably cheerful smile appeared on his face.
"Ha! I'll take that as a compliment... But, Commander Lin Qi, I remember you said you wanted to hold a military parade on the ground. I wonder how your preparations are going?"
“Of course we are well prepared,” Lin Qi said, while giving a wink to the people behind him. A chapter servant walked out of the ranks carrying a data tablet and handed it to the two chapter leaders, Man-Eater and Red Scorpion.
"The parade grounds are all set up, and we're just waiting for the troops to enter. Your chapter servants will escort you to the stands in the square, and you can also notify your respective parade units to proceed to their designated positions."
Looking at the data panel, the two battle group leaders and the high-ranking officers behind them nodded in agreement. The parade plan had been communicated to all the factions that had responded to the distress signal via Star Language three days prior. In those three days, everything had been arranged; all they needed to do was place the participating teams in their designated locations.
It seems that not only personal charisma and martial prowess, but also abilities such as political management have become monstrous?
The two chapter commanders reflected to themselves that they were already among the best of the empire's chapter commanders, but after comparing themselves with Lin Qi, they both discovered some of their own shortcomings.
It's a pity that Lynch can't read minds, otherwise he would definitely have told the two of them, if conditions allowed, that the reason he could make everything appear so orderly was because he had the soul of a Primarch within him, using his knowledge and abilities that surpassed human limits to help him manage things.
Even though he has grasped the essence, he is still inferior to the original gene in the present moment.
However, after understanding the true nature of things, Lin Qi became somewhat reluctant to surpass the original gene.
But sometimes, there is no choice.
After seeing off the two chapter commanders who had arrived at the orbital platform first, Lynch looked up. With his superhuman vision, he could clearly see the warships of all sizes in the boundless void. These warships came from various parts of the Human Empire: the Astartes Chapter, the Astronautical Army, the Imperial Navy, the Inquisition, the Mechanicus, and even the Ronin Merchants.
Hundreds of stars shone brightly, and at the same time, smaller meteors appeared on their bodies, swooping down one after another towards Badab's orbital platform.
“It’s hard for the empire to recreate such a scene now,” Lynch suddenly remarked. “Tens of thousands of Astartes, millions of mortal troops, hundreds of warships, and world-destroying divine machines.”
"Horus," Lynch called out in his heart. "What do you think?"
"I'll look at it from a distance."
Horus, floating in mid-air, spoke thus.
Lin Qi was stunned for a moment, then a helpless smile appeared on his lips.
He knew that Horus was protesting against the fact that he had recently delegated a lot of chapter duties to him.
But he had no choice; there were just too many things to do, and he and Hoffman, who hadn't yet reached their full potential, simply couldn't handle it all on their own.
With a Primarch-level supercomputer at hand, how could they not use it in this situation?
Never mind, Horus will calm down and talk to people on his own later.
Lin Qi thought to himself, and continued to focus his attention on the ships S that were constantly approaching Badab.
According to the final statistics, a total of thirteen Astartes Chapters from the Empire supported Star Claw this time.
The thirteen Astartes Chapters, excluding the Star Claws, each had fewer than a thousand members, making them standard Holy Order Chapters. Their total strength was just over ten thousand.
Besides Astartes, there are also a large number of Astral Legions and two fully-fledged Imperial Navy fleets, as well as Titan Legions belonging to the Forging World Angolostrum.
Such power was an indispensable force, even during the empire's most powerful period of expeditions.
Through a military parade, Lin Qi hoped to unite this complex and powerful force into a tight enough fist to strike the enemy quickly and forcefully.
Of course, if the military parade doesn't work, Lin Qi has another method: to forcibly unite everyone present under one flag.
At that very moment, a subspace rift opened in the void, and a golden ship leaped out from within it.
The golden exterior and the eagle emblem already indicate the power to which this ship belongs.
coming.
Lin Qi thought to himself.
This time... it really is a convergence of great events.
Standing still, just before embarking on his mission, Lin Qi reflected on the situation.
Chapter 152 Tarachin's Desire
A golden transport plane descended from the void.
This is a transport aircraft unlike any other before. Its golden exterior shimmers under the starlight, and its outstretched wings evoke the image of eagles spreading their wings after mythology.
The golden eagle had sharp eyes, and its body was enveloped in runes formed of lightning. It was engraved on the fuselage, so that everyone who saw it, even the ignorant poor who lived in the bottom nest, could understand the nobility of the people and things carried inside.
The transport plane landed on the tarmac. The welcoming party was ready long ago. In addition to the Star Claws' Honor Guard, the selected mortal honor guard and band, there were also representatives from the Astartes Chapter, the Astragalus Army, the Imperial Navy, and other forces present.
The people on this transport plane were the last group to arrive in Badab and participate in the upcoming battle.
The fact that various forces came forward to welcome them speaks volumes about the identities of these individuals.
The metal structure began to rumble as the transport plane's hatch slowly opened. Air rushed in from the outside, and dazzling golden light shone through the gaps in the open hatch.
Lynch stared intently, and as the hatch slowly opened, the first thing he saw was an old yet familiar face. The owner of this face wore golden power armor, not any of the MK series provided to Astartes by the Empire, but the Eagle-type power armor exclusively for the golden-armored guards who protected the royal palace on Terra.
Imperial Guards.
Yes, the last group to arrive in this battle, and the ones who endorsed this fight, were the Royal Guard from Terra.
The leader was none other than Gawain, who had acted alongside Lynch, later returned to Terra, shed his black robes, and once again became a protector of the people in the Imperial Guard.
The Imperial Guards marched in unison, disembarking one by one from the transport plane.
The Imperial Guard that arrived in Badab had eleven men, including Gawain. Judging from their equipment, five were Imperial Guard Shield Guards skilled in defensive combat, while the other five were Imperial Guard Watchmen wielding halberds and battle axes, responsible for annihilating the enemy.
Should I say they truly deserve to be called the Imperial Guard?
Tiberius grinned as he greeted the group, thinking to himself.
As one of the strongest chapter leaders, Crimson Blood Road Tiberius's strength is beyond doubt.
However, based on his own deduction, his chances of winning a one-on-one duel with any of these Imperial Guards members were between 50% and 60%; if they used a siege tactic, or fought in small squads...
Apart from Lin Qi, whose background is currently unknown, there is probably no one present who can stop him.
"Long time no see, Gao Wen."
Without any unnecessary formalities, Lin Qi stepped forward and put his hand on Gao Wen's shoulder.
"Yeah, long time no see."
Gawain nodded, which was his response to Lynch.
He didn't say anything more, took a sealed box from his companion behind him, opened it, and revealed a parchment inside.
A mark was left on the parchment by red ink. Gawain tore off the mark, carefully unfolded the parchment with both hands, and then began to read the contents of the parchment to the crowd.
"In the name of the emperor."
He said.
"The Terra Highlord Council has passed the War Act. From this day forward, the Great Vortex Alliance exists as a legitimate combat organization within the Empire. Lynch, the Chapter Master of the Star Claws, will serve as the Alliance Leader and will have full authority over war affairs."
The sound wasn't loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone present.
Astartes and the representatives of the Forging World remained calm, clearly having anticipated this outcome.
The representatives from the Star Force and the Imperial Navy all showed expressions of shock, but given the current situation, they could not whisper among themselves and could only suppress their emotions and watch the welcoming ceremony continue.
Gawain closed the parchment and put it back into the box. His companion closed the box and then handed it to Lynch, who was standing in front of him.
Lin Qi took a deep breath, nodded to Gao Wen, and took the box.
"Praise be to the Emperor, and thank Terra for his trust and support. As the leader of the Maelstrom Alliance, I will fulfill my duty of war and dedicate my life and soul to the enemies of humanity."
With those brief words, everyone present bowed their heads and performed the Eagle Salute with their hands.
"The Imperial Guard will stand with you in this battle."
Gao Wen spoke.
"We will represent the Emperor's gaze, fight alongside you, oversee your actions, and fuel your anger."
The sound ended, signifying the conclusion of a certain phase of the welcoming ceremony.
"Then, please follow me to the viewing platform, my esteemed guards."
Lynch turned to the side, revealing a passageway.
"Preparations for the military parade are complete. Once everyone is seated, the parade will officially begin."
start."
-------
The figure silently observed everything before him, a turbulent undercurrent surging beneath his calm eyes, striving to firmly etch everything he saw into his mind.
"Estimated population of Astartes: 10,000."
He thought to himself. The figure quickened his pace, weaving through the crowd, but strangely, everyone seemed oblivious to the giant's actions. Aside from the occasional slight frown caused by a sudden gust of wind, they showed no other reaction.
It gives the impression that... it's as if the figure doesn't exist at all.
But the human figure is real; it breathes, speaks, thinks, moves, and decays...
The fact that human characteristics are still present indicates that the shadowy figure is still a person, only with an exceptionally high ability to stealth, easily deceiving ordinary people and even regular Astartes.
The figure moved forward, traversing a long corridor, and finally managed to slip into an elevator. Several ordinary people chatted with him as they ascended further from the ground.
"Don't you guys feel this place is too crowded?"
Is it a problem with the space design?