Yarrick's Banquet

Herman von Ozk stepped out of his luxurious aircraft, his face full of displeasure and contempt as he surveyed the upscale restaurant. Two squads of guards descended behind him and formed two human cordons at the entrance.

"This commissar really is a pauper. Is an upscale restaurant the most respectable place he could think of? What a country bumpkin." Von Ozk put on a strained expression of condescension and entered the restaurant under his guards' protection.

Yarrick stood at the entrance awaiting von Ozk's arrival alongside two potbellied businessmen dressed in black formal suits and top hats. Yarrick still wore that cold expression that did not quite smile, while the two businessmen beside him beamed as brightly as blooming flowers.

"Ah, the esteemed Lord von Ozk, thank you for accepting my invitation. It truly inconveniences you to come all the way to such an upscale restaurant."

Hearing Yarrick speak so fawningly, von Ozk stared at him as though he had seen a ghost. He had heard from his uncle about Yarrick's mad stunt of drawing a gun on him at the grand banquet.

Yarrick looked at the suspicious von Ozk and forced a stiff smile. "My lord, please do not be angered or puzzled by my previous rudeness. After hearing of the Titan Legion's glorious victory, I was deeply won over by the governor's magnificence. How could a fool like me possibly see even a ten-thousandth of his wisdom? This banquet is my sincere apology. I hope you will believe me."

Von Ozk found Yarrick's plea greatly satisfying. He knew full well of the Titan Legion's glorious victory Yarrick spoke of: six million savage Orks had fled in every direction beneath the feet of the war engines. The news of this brilliant victory had spread through every hive city on Armageddon. As for that abnormally violent tremor, it was the best proof that the Ork Gu Juji had been destroyed. The Machine Legion was now pursuing the fleeing sea of Orks like merciless hunters. Before long, every greenskin beast on Armageddon would surely be driven out, and a brilliant, great victory would bring supreme glory to the Herman Family.

With an expression that said Yarrick was finally teachable, he nodded faintly. His gaze toward Yarrick was full of the message: there was still hope for you. Arrogantly, von Ozk strode toward the hall amid the ingratiating laughter of the two businessmen.

At the very back, Yarrick's face was hidden beneath the brim of his great cap, making his expression impossible to read. Yet his clenched fists betrayed the rage in his heart.

Rushing ahead to open the doors for von Ozk, they revealed a spacious and exquisitely decorated private hall filled with minor nobles awaiting him. Von Ozk lightly waved the white handkerchief in his hand at them, and those cunning nobles who always followed the wind immediately crowded around him, showering praise upon von Ozk and his family.

Amid the nobles' praises, von Ozk took his seat at the head of the table and looked arrogantly at Commissar Yarrick, who had just entered. "A toast to the governor's foresight and our loyal commissar's prudent caution!"

"Cheers!"

The nobles' toast seemed like praise, but it was in truth an insult. Von Ozk wanted to use this ultimate humiliation to see how Commissar Yarrick would react. To his disappointment, however, the expected outburst of rage and storming from the room never came. Commissar Yarrick merely sat calmly at the end of a table near the door and nodded in seeming agreement.

Disappointed at not seeing Yarrick embarrassed, von Ozk sat back listlessly and prodded the thick, sizzling, grease-dripping steak before him with his fork. Seeing that von Ozk was unhappy, the nobles and businessmen all held their breath, terrified of angering the great noble who governed Hades Hive.

Commissar Yarrick slowly rose, his chair scraping harshly across the floor. Every noble in the room turned to look at him, eager to see what this commissar intended to do.

After clearing his throat, Yarrick used his hoarse, steady voice to puncture an enormous lie. "The Titan Legion's victory was real, but the Orks' defeat was false. The Titan Legion has already been wiped out." Then he braced both hands on the table and watched the other guests' reactions.

After a long silence, von Ozk burst into laughter. "Commissar, commissar, you truly have gone mad. The Titan Legion won and destroyed the Orks. How could it possibly have been wiped out?"

One noble chimed in, "I think our poor loyal commissar has begun hallucinating. He should go to the hospital and have himself examined."

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

The mockery grated on Yarrick's nerves, making his fists clench even tighter. "The Titan Legion's destruction has already been confirmed by the priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Do you think the Adeptus Mechanicus would lie to you?"

"The Adeptus Mechanicus? Impossible."

"The Titan Legion was destroyed." A cold, inhuman voice came from behind von Ozk. He slowly turned his head and saw a tech-priest towering far above him, staring down at him with emotionless mechanical compound eyes that gleamed with a ghostly light.

"Eek!" Startled, von Ozk let out a strange cry. Then he suddenly recalled Commissar Yarrick's mad words. "Was what he said true?" His cautious question received only silence in reply. Yet von Ozk could even see hatred and anger in those emotionless compound eyes, and the chill ran through his entire body.

The many nobles observing von Ozk's condition were so shocked by the terrifying implication behind this revelation that they could not speak. The two businessmen fortunate enough to attend the noble banquet began trembling all over, their fat quivering. They did not dare imagine the Titan Legion's destruction, much less what kind of Ork army could annihilate those gods that walked the earth.

Seeing the panicked and ugly spectacle before him, Yarrick slammed his bolt pistol onto the table. The tremendous bang once again drew everyone's attention. "I deeply mourn the Titan Legion's sacrifice, but we must still fortify Hades Hive and devise a proper battle plan."

"Yes, yes! Protect Hades Hive!"

"We must, we must have a plan to stop those savages!"

The nobles began chattering over one another about fortifying the hive city. Listening to their childish ideas, Yarrick felt a burst of amusement.

"We must establish a defensive line around the hive! Keep them outside! I do not want those barbarians dirtying my palace!"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes! Let the Planetary Defense Force build positions outside the hive! We pay them to do this sort of work!"

"We must fight the Orks within the hive. The fall of Heglas Hive has already proven that fighting in the open is no different from courting death. Sending large numbers of troops into the wilderness to fight the Orks head-on is the most foolish decision possible." Yarrick's hoarse, powerful voice sounded utterly out of place amid the nobles' shrill, grating cries.