Everything Under Control

Bang!

The scorching Bolt Rifle is pouring out blessings from Hell!

That was the lament of death, the bullets propelled by rockets, with their powerful kinetic energy, tearing apart the defenses constructed by the Daemon!

In fact, those Daemons that came to the Materium from the Warp Rift were all insignificant little monsters, so Astartes advanced at an extremely fast speed without any hindrance!

Heavy footsteps, tolling the death knell!

The sound of exploding bullets is the Emperor's wrath!

Stepping over the shattered corpses of countless Daemons, the Astartes Tactical Squad of over twenty men stormed into the planetary defense orbital facility and successfully rendezvoused with Tucker and the others.

Lyon glanced at it briefly, then gave the order, "Tactical Squad 4 and 5, take charge of security and eliminate any threats."

Then, with heavy steps, Lyon arrived before the trembling, somewhat terrified mortal resistance force.

When the lower-ranking members of the local Defense Force see Astartes, they instinctively kneel down, clasp their hands in front of their chests, and perform the Eagle Salute to express their respect and reverence.

Tucker, on the other hand, was much more at ease. Facing the high-ranking Astartes, he simply punched his heart with his right fist.

The reason is much Astartes. He's seen Astartes many times in Catachan and Cadian, and the initial filter he had in mind has almost completely fallen off.

Lyon immediately noticed the medal pinned to Tucker's chest— the Iron Eagle, awarded only to Astra Militarum soldiers who had performed heroic deeds. "You're a retired Astra Militarum soldier?"

"Respected monk, I served in the 175th Regiment of the Astra Militarum and participated in the Battle of Cadian," Tucker reported his resume with a proud expression.

Upon hearing Cadian, Lyon immediately showed a hint of respect. Although it was through his helmet, his tone softened considerably from its initial coldness. "I've heard of that battle, it's just a pity... we weren't able to participate."

"That's all in the past, cultivator."

Tucker felt a little bitter; the Battle of Cadian was the most devastating defeat of his military career.

Fortunately, Lyon didn't intend to press further, so he said, "I need to know the current situation of this planet, including intelligence on the enemy, and so on."

"No problem, esteemed monk."

Tucker gathered his thoughts and quickly recounted all the information he knew.

So, there's only one settlement left now?

Lyon frowned as he listened. Although he had guessed before coming that the planet's condition was bad, it was truly rare to find it this bad.

How to describe it...

In normal circumstances, it wouldn't be Astartes' turn to act. They would instead contact the Inquisitor, the Imperial Navy, and then unleash a barrage of macro Macrocannon and Whirlwind Torpedo from orbit.

After all, the only valuable asset Losel could offer was a small amount of minerals, but even if they were to wrest that much back from Chaos, it would probably be barely enough to pay Tithe.

Given the nature of those people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it's highly likely they'd rather wipe out these Hive World once and for all than bother with anything else.

If it weren't for the urgent mission to rescue the planet, even Lyon wouldn't believe that retaking it would have any necessary value.

Shaking his head to banish these distracting thoughts, Leon decided that the mission was the highest priority, and everything else... could wait. Lyon turned to Tucker, his deep voice coming through the helmet. "Have you seen this person before?"

As he spoke, he unfolded the holographic projection on his arm, revealing a young, innocent-looking face with brown hair and black eyes to Tucker and the others.

"This... isn't this our Company Commander?"

Diz peeked at it, and when she saw the holographic image of a face, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"You know him?"

Lyon was somewhat surprised. He had thought the most difficult part of this mission would be finding the target, but he encountered a pleasant surprise as soon as he arrived.

Tucker seemed to have guessed something, his expression somewhat strange, but he still answered truthfully, "Yes, esteemed monk, we know him, Alvin Valshius."

"Yes, where is he?"

Lyon put away the holographic projection, nodded slightly, and said in a deep voice, "Take us to see him quickly."

As expected, it wasn't reinforcements from the Imperium... Even though he had already guessed it, Tucker still couldn't help but feel a little disappointed after seeing Astartes' reaction.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing that he hadn't moved for a while, Lyon thought there was something wrong.

"Respected monk, I have a question..." Tucker knew very well that questioning an Angel of the Emperor would likely cause unnecessary trouble, but he still gritted his teeth and forced himself to ask, "You... you, have you come to save us?"

Lyon was wearing a helmet, so his expression was not visible.

However, the sudden silence, coupled with the suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere and the red light from the helmet Auspex, made the atmosphere much heavier, even somewhat cold and stern.

Sometimes, silence... is the answer.

Tucker chuckled self-deprecatingly, reverting to his shameless demeanor, and waved his hand. "Hey, just pretend I didn't say anything, don't worry about me, I'll take you to him now."

With that, Tucker waved his hand, signaling the remaining men of the 3rd Company to follow. "Let's go, boys. To fight alongside the Angel of the Emperor is a tremendous honor. Cheer up, and don't let Losel down!"

Lyon stood still, gazing at Tucker's retreating figure, and let out a soft, almost imperceptible sigh.

How could he not understand the meaning behind Tucker's question?

However, although Astartes are the Angel of the Emperor, they are not omnipotent and there are many times when they are powerless.

This was true Ten Thousand Years Ago; it will remain true 10,000 years from now!

"Have the Thunderhawk Gunship stand by. Once we find... once we find the target, we'll withdraw immediately."

Emotions are emotions, and reason is reason.

Lyon is a sensible man. No matter how much sympathy he may have personally, the mission must be the top priority. This is the Codex that a qualified Astartes must follow!

Inside the domed sanctuary of the Upper-hive's Ecclesiarchy, Garken gazed intently at the Astartes' location marked on the holographic map, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Your Excellency Rosales Grand Sage, I have some bad news to inform you... Tactical Squad of approximately thirty Astartes Acolyte has landed on the planet's surface, located on the edge of Upper-hive."

Soon, a holographic image appeared.

It was an enraged Rosales, glaring at Garken, his voice clearly filled with fury. "Garken, why are there Astartes on this planet?!"

"Don't be alarmed, Your Excellency Grand Sage Rosales," Garken said calmly. "A few Astartes are nothing unusual. Besides, only three Tactical Squad have landed, not a whole Chapter. There's no need to panic; everything is under control."

"It would be best if it were as you said, Garken."

Rosales stared at him coldly and sneered, "I hope you don't mess things up in the end."

"How could that be? Please don't worry."

A sinister smile curled at the corner of Garken's lips as he said coldly, "I just think this show isn't exciting enough."

Great, you've come at the right time!

Otherwise, all those surprises he prepared would be wasted! The more people who come, the better!

Garken closed his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He seemed to see the Crystal Labyrinth situated atop the endless rainbow plateau, its colors shifting endlessly, like a tapestry of hope, pain, dreams, and nightmares intertwined in the depths of its mirrored surface, where the great Lord of Change let out a soft laugh.

Guys, I'm not trying to play the victim, but this fever is like I'm positive for COVID-19. I'm in excruciating pain all over my body, a terrible sore throat, and constant diarrhea. I'm barely surviving on IV drips. Be careful, it might be some new virus. Lots of people around here have gotten infected. I'm just hanging on by my last few days thanks to my writing.