The Passion of Guilliman (Part 1)

Pedro Kantor, Chapter Master of the Crimson Fists, was a well-informed Astartes, and that had everything to do with his long years of service. This legendary Chapter Master had served within his Chapter for nearly four hundred years.

But no matter what, no matter how many reasons he gave himself, he could not calm down.

"My lord." Pedro Kantor wore a pained expression. "Bringing an Orc aboard the ship—this is somewhat... rather..."

His hesitant, tongue-tied expression did not escape Steve's eyes. The blond Primarch shook his head in amusement. "Don't look at me like that, Pedro. And there's something wrong with your wording. It isn't an Orc, but 'part of a dead Orc's body.'"

Was there any difference?

If it had been anyone else, Pedro Kantor dared swear to The Emperor that he would already have drawn his sword and furiously demanded to know what the other party's intentions were—only a dead Orc was a good Orc, and bringing an Orc aboard? You wouldn't happen to be some hidden traitor, would you?

But this was the lord who held the Flame Sword. Even the fact that he had, not long ago, been recognized by a huge mob of Orcs as their "boss" could not change that.

Pedro Kantor had already made up his mind. He had to forget this matter.

So he could only stand there and smile bitterly. "But, my lord, what exactly do you intend to do by bringing part of its corpse aboard? Research into Orcs was halted as early as a thousand years ago. They are creatures that completely violate all existing scientific understanding."

Pedro Kantor made a gesture. "They are both animal and plant, capable of photosynthesis, with a bizarre Psionic field—"

"—I know all of that, Pedro. Trust me, I have my uses for