"How many troops can we mobilize right now?" Lorgar drew his gaze from the stars beyond the viewport and settled it on Rockefeller before him, his tone steady and direct.
"Around 1.2 million." A trace of hesitation colored Rockefeller's voice. He glanced at the Dataslate in his hand, then added,
"Many of our Industrial Worlds have come under attack. Before withdrawing, those rebel Adeptus Mechanicus fleets didn't just strip them bare. They also blew up many critical production facilities."
"Repairing those facilities will take time. Our current strength is enough for defense, but organizing a large-scale crusade would put enormous pressure on our logistics."
Lorgar tapped his fingers lightly against the table, his golden eyes slowly narrowing.
For any Legion or faction within the Imperium, 1.2 million Space Marines represented a vast force capable of making an entire star system tremble.
But to Lorgar, this was more than a number. He had to consider how many warships were needed to transport those 1.2 million warriors, how many supplies they required, and how much ammunition they would consume.
Without the support of Industrial Worlds, a large-scale crusade would be like a tree without roots. Every step deeper into enemy territory would multiply its consumption.
"Among our ships, the Gloriana-class Battleship Herald of the Holy Word was surrounded and attacked by hundreds of enemy capital ships. She is currently undergoing repairs." Rockefeller turned to the next page on his Dataslate, his voice growing somber.
During that savage battle, even a ship of her immense size had been overwhelmed by hundreds of enemy capital ships. Her Void Shields had overloaded and collapsed under the concentrated bombardment, and her armor had been stripped away layer by layer. The entire warship had nearly been reduced to a floating heap of scrap, barely limping back to