How to Conquer a Hive City

So it was you!

Rowan suddenly understood.

That name was practically legendary!

The savior of Armageddon, one of the Imperium's three great chosen Commissars, Bonecrusher's nemesis (and ill-fated lover), the Orks' eternal nightmare, Old Painless...

Thinking about it now, the battle that had made Yarrick a legend—the Second Armageddon War—was still about fifty years away.

This place was also within the Sol Sector, so it made sense that he would be here.

That also completely explained why this Astra Militarum force was so powerful: not only had reinforcements arrived with incredible speed, they had also repelled several attacks by Orks backed by the industrial output of a Hive City.

As for the Baneblade that looked so familiar to Rowan, it was probably Yarrick's personal ride, the Fortress of Arrogance.

"Who are you?"

Yarrick repeated his earlier question, his brows gradually drawing together.

The moment he had given his name, the man leading the squad had looked at him with a strange, almost peculiar expression, as though he had heard the name before.

But that didn't make sense.

As far as Yarrick was concerned, he was merely an ordinary Commissar in the ranks of the Imperial Astra Militarum. There was nothing special about him.

Could he have dealt with them before?

But that raised another question.

Yarrick knew he might have some standing in the Imperium. After all, he was a Commissar, and in a sense, that made him somebody.

But who exactly were the people in the other group?

A Living Saint, an Inquisitor, and one of the Emperor's Custodes.

That lineup instantly dispelled most of Yarrick's doubts.

Honestly, if some Heretics ever tried to fool him and could produce a lineup like this as a disguise, Yarrick would have to admit defeat.

They were so credible that if one of them claimed to be a Heretic, Yarrick would have to stop and wonder whether he ought to shoot himself.

But what was strange was that these three figures of immense standing in the Imperium were calmly flanking the man in the middle, and seemed to be taking orders from him.

Calling that unusual was an understatement.

Even the High Lords of Terra probably weren't accorded such an honor.

Rowan thought it over briefly. This really wasn't easy to explain.

After all, some Big Gold One had dragged him into this universe without giving him any sort of starting identity.

"You can call me Rowan. I'm a noble from Terra. With the encouragement and support of an elder in my family, I've begun hunting down the various enemies across the Galaxy who threaten humanity and the Imperium."

As soon as he said it, not only Yarrick but even the three people standing behind Rowan nearly lost control of their expressions at the impact of his words.

Yarrick fell silent for a moment.

Even he, usually so resolute and nearly incapable of smiling, found the absurdity of the situation almost impossible to believe.

Well, at least the man was willing to humor him.

Yarrick sighed inwardly, then cut straight to the point and changed the subject.

"What brings you here? How can we help?"

As a Commissar of the Imperium who had graduated from the Schola Progenium, Yarrick knew that every department in the Imperium had its own secrets.

Faced with such an unusual situation, he knew it would be more beneficial to ignore it and act as though he knew nothing. That way, he could serve the Emperor better.

[Simple minds are free of malice; the dull-witted never change.]

Ignorance could sometimes be a form of protection. The more Yarrick thought of the strange rumors circulating on Armageddon, the more he understood that.

Rowan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Old Painless really was efficient.

That saved him from having to explain anything more.

"Nothing special. Our purpose here is fairly simple. I need your Astra Militarum force to help us conquer that fallen Hive City and kill the Ork Warboss, and then..."

"With all due respect, that's impossible."

Yarrick cut Rowan off without hesitation.

Uh.

Rowan paused.

Just like you, then. So blunt, and so tactless...

"Not a single condition required for us to conquer that Hive City has been met. In other words, it's an impossible mission."

"Even with the Astartes joining us?"

"Even with the Astartes joining us."

Yarrick emphasized his point. "That Hive City will be difficult to take. Very difficult."

"Watch your words, Commissar."

The Custodian standing behind Rowan spoke up. "You are already showing signs of cowardice—"

He didn't finish.

Rowan gave a subtle look, stopping the Custodian's accusation.

When it came to this, he trusted Yarrick.

After all, Yarrick's legendary battle had been fought at Hive Hades on Armageddon.

With nothing but a handful of PDFs and underhive gangs, he had managed to hold off Bonecrusher's main force and a host of powerful Ork units until the Space Marines arrived.

It was an extreme example, but it still proved how difficult a Hive City could be to capture when defended by a skilled commander.

"Then what do you think are the main obstacles to taking this Hive City? What conditions would we need to meet?"

His trust in a professional made Rowan feel that Yarrick's opinion was worth hearing.

"First, the Void Shields. Our current firepower can't break through them. That means those cunning Xenos can attack us, but our artillery can't reach over their heads."

Yarrick didn't hold back.

"Right, what else?"

Rowan spoke as a pen and paper appeared in his hand at some point. He carefully took notes.

Yarrick's eyes widened.

He was confident in his eyesight, especially in close-quarters combat.

Yet he hadn't seen Rowan's hand holding those things a moment earlier.

After thinking it over, he swallowed the question.

"Your Strike Cruiser has certainly given us an unparalleled advantage in orbit, but its firepower still can't threaten the Orks."

"And the Space Marines. In my experience, they're still formidable at breaking through defensive lines. But this Ork Warboss is cunning and experienced. The area outside the Hive City has already been turned into a killing ground. Once we're trapped there, they'll hit us with precise artillery fire."

Yarrick paused, then continued. "Of course, with your support, we have enough strength to break through the outer defenses. But what comes after that?"

"The Hive City's layout is a maze. Nobody knows what's inside, and we don't have enough armored vehicles to fight those damned Orks in the streets."

"Our armored regiment only has Leman Russ Tanks and Chimeras, as well as two Baneblade Tanks that are treated as relics. And even those are running short on supplies."

"No Hellhounds, no Storm Swords, no Storm Lords... Damn the Departmento Munitorum and their [Armageddon profanity]! We had no idea the Hive City had fallen before we got here!"

As he spoke, Yarrick began to complain.

But this time, Rowan interrupted him with a smile. "So you're saying that if we meet those conditions, then conquering the Hive City is possible, right?"