"Spectator"

Upon arriving at the Shadow of the Throne and stepping into the palace, Wilshire felt a slight unease.

Obsidian, tilted erratically at angles that defy mechanics, supports the dome.

Twelve metal rods extending down from the dome, with the flags of each Chapter hanging at their bases, are arranged asymmetrically, three on the left, four on the right, and five in the center.

Inside the magnificent palace, black jade floor tiles spread asymmetrically in a Fibonacci Sequence with dotted spacing.

[The flagship has already been branded with the mark of the Primarch gene.]

According to Bradshaw, who was both a mentor and a friend, Wilshire learned that the Primarch preferred black and asymmetrical architectural structures.

His home world, Vostonia, which he had yet to set foot in, was being built in the Legionary Monastery, which adopted this design.

Wilshire followed the Fibonacci Sequence path and arrived at the Monarch's Council Chamber.

The council chamber was divided into two sections, where the Astartes commander and fleet officers were seated respectively.

Astartes walked to the left side and took a seat in the last row.

Bradshaw had reminded him that, as a newcomer to the Honor Guard, he should listen to everyone else but not speak himself.

After taking his seat, Wilshire looked towards the front of his area, where Lord James of the Second Legion, Lord Sanchez of the 7th Legion, and Chief Apothecary Mitchell were seated closest to the Primarch.

On the other side, flagship captain Diana Pauline sat closest to the Primarch's the Throne.

Fifteen minutes later, the war council began on time.

Arsena Dunn raised his Control Staff, projecting a holographic image of the Wheel of Fire System into the sky above the council chamber.

At the same time, the surrounding displays also lit up, each showing different images.

"Gentlemen, after the Imperium reconnaissance ships infiltrated the Wheel of Fire System, they are conducting a comprehensive scan of the entire system."

"The Ork fleet numbered over a thousand ships, most of which were cobbled together from scrap metal. The Tech-Priest couldn't comprehend how they flew through the void."

"It is worth noting that the Orks Fleet contains an unknown number of capital ships."

"..."

After the Primarch's Attendants gave an overview of the Wheel of Fire System, Nimrod spoke.

"The Ork of the Wheel of Fire are numerous, posing the greatest challenge the Eleventh Legion has faced since the beginning of its campaigns."

"I'd like to hear your strategic ideas."

Diana leaned back in the leather seat, adopting a "Spectator" stance, her blue-green eyes scrutinizing Astartes on the other side like an observer.

She saw James be the first to get up.

"From the Primarch's Attendants's description, we know that the status of the Wheel of Fire is unknown."

"Therefore, we should adopt a steady, gradual approach, centering on the Shadow of the Throne."

The observant and independent "Spectator" noticed that the Second Legion Lord paused for a moment, a flash of jealousy in his eyes, before James continued.

"Use the Void Hunter's range advantage to strike the Ork warships. The frenzied Orks, not wanting to be gradually devoured by us, will launch an attack."

"My capital ships will become the Ork's nightmare, delivering a brutal blow to the Xenos."

Wilshire frowned upon hearing this, watching the lord's retreating figure and thinking to himself.

[Lord James is too conservative. With this strategy, the losses against Ork fleet many times larger would be too great.]

The "Spectator" glimpsed James's jealousy from his barely perceptible movements, and combined this with her understanding of the legion's situation, she thought to herself.

[Lords like Sanchez achieved brilliant results, while James's performance paled in comparison.]

He wanted to win the favor of the Monarch, but he lacked creative strategic thinking. His proposed plan was to prove himself to the Primarch and the Second Legion through direct combat.

Thinking of this, the "Spectator" looked up at the Primarch gene.

The female captain is the person who sees the Primarch most often, aside from Primarch's Attendants and Honor Guard members, and is more "adapted" to looking directly at Nimrod than others.

After a moment, the "Spectator" gave up in frustration and looked away. The Primarch of Primarch remained calm, and she could not deduce Nimrod's thoughts from any expression or movement.

Diana began to recall past battles commanded by the Primarch, and with the powerful memory of the "Spectator," she remembered everything she had seen.

[Although the Primarch's intentions are unclear, James's plan likely doesn't align with Lord Nimrod's strategic thinking.]

As the female captain pondered, James sat down, and Sanchez then stood up.

"Although there are many Ork warships, most of them pose little threat. We should adopt a swift strike strategy and launch a decisive attack on the large Orks warships."

"This strategy has an advantage: without large warships to rely on, the threat posed by those dilapidated warships will be greatly reduced."

"If it's a war of attrition, they'll use large warships to launch attacks. As far as I know, Ork warships often employ brutal ramming tactics."

Upon hearing this, Wilshire's brow relaxed somewhat.

He believed that the 7th Legion's lord had proposed a better plan than his own, but it was too risky and the legion would still suffer considerable losses.

While Wilshire pondered a better solution, Diana observed Sanchez.

The "Spectator" saw a flickering flame in Sanchez's eyes, capturing the soaring fighting spirit and determination within them.

[Sanchez wagers a wager with Enoch Rashivin, the Wolf Lord "Space Wolves," on who Purification the Orks of a planet first; the Reaper Lord is eager to launch an attack as soon as possible.]

The "Spectator" recalled Sanchez's past battle reports, and his proposed plan was in line with past tactical thinking.

Diana looked up at the Primarch again. Having become an "Spectator," she possessed exceptional mental strength and was more capable of withstanding pressure than before.

When Sanchez sat down, Wilshire couldn't think of a better solution, and the "Spectator" still couldn't glean any answer from Nimrod's face.

Just as the "Spectator" was about to look away, she saw the Primarch's deep eyes looking over, forcing her to break free from her detached state.

"Diana, what's your plan?"

The female captain stood up. "My lady, I believe both lords' plans have their advantages, and I think they can be combined."

"Oh," Nimrod said, tapping his fingers lightly on the back of the chair, "Go on."

"The Shadow of the Throne draws the Ork fleet's fire, allowing the Void Hunter to launch a swift strike, while the capital ship intercepts the ramming enemy vessel."

"After the arrival of the Fifth and 11th Chapter warships, they launched the final encirclement and annihilation battle."

Wilshire's eyes lit up as she looked at the female captain; her proposed plan was more comprehensive and would result in less damage.

It is more feasible militarily, and it also takes into account the thoughts of the two lords politically.

[The Primarch truly knows how to use people well, appointing her as the captain of the flagship.]

As the Shadow of Order pondered, it indeed heard the Primarch of Gene speak.

"Diana's suggestion is feasible; the strategies of James and Sanchez are effectively combined."

"I order the fleet to split into three..."

"Four light-years from the Wheel of Fire, Arenis serves as a supply and transshipment point on two shipping routes..."

Nimrod swiftly issued orders, and the massive fleet set sail under the command of the Primarch.

After the war council concluded, Wilshire left with his fellow members of the Honor Guard from the Second Legion.

"Wilshire, I'll take you to a restaurant. You haven't tried Fenrisian Kraken's steak yet, have you?"

"Kraken, what's that?"

"Sea monsters, some several kilometers long, some even longer than the Gloriana-class Battleship."

As a new member of the Honor Guard, he had never been to Fenris, but he still fondly recalled the story of the Primarch defeating another Primarch.

"My father had a hunting contest with Fenris's Wolf King."

"The Kraken was spoils of war; its meat was distributed among the various fleets."

"Five Relic-class warships, and some meat was also delivered to the various Chapter. It's a pity our Chapter hasn't received the Primarch's reward yet."

Wilshire caught up with her colleague's leaps of thought, "I know the Wolf King lost to the Primarch."

At the same moment, Arenis.

Aeldari Autarch Slau Dha, holding the sword forged by the Vaul the Smith God, addressed the Aeldari Warrior before him.

"I have received Revelation: Chaos will perish along with humanity."

"The threads of fate have recently taken another turn. Nimrod will obtain the Spear of Dionysus, which will become the weapon of the monkey lord. He will be a variable in the threads of fate."

"We must kill Nimrod in Arenis before the War of the Wheel of Fire breaks out, so that Fenris's wolves can obtain it."

"To ensure that no variables were left unchecked, I spent ten years weaving threads and developing a comprehensive plan."

"Nimrod must die; we cannot allow him to obtain the Spear of Dionysus!"

On the ninth week of its voyage, the Shadow of the Throne received a distress signal from Arenis.