The Ripper was unusually stunned, its little mouth wide open, its eyes filled with disbelief.
It even doubted that it had heard correctly.
Lynn actually agreed?
Lynn, who had always been cautious and meticulous, afraid of revealing the existence of the Tyranids, actually agreed to confront the Imperial Fleet head-on?
Something's not right with how this script is going.
"What? Haven't you always wanted to do this?" Lynn couldn't help but smile at its adorable, bewildered look and reached out to flick its little head.
"I, I do want to!" The Ripper nodded quickly, wagging its tail excitedly.
"But, but you always said no before!"
"The past is the past, the present is the present." Lynn's smile gradually faded, and his eyes became serious.
"In the past, we had a way out; we could develop slowly and accumulate strength gradually."
"But now, we have no way out."
He leaned back in his chair, gazing at the gray sky outside the window, and said in a heavy tone:
" Dominic has granted an extension, but he won't reduce taxes by much."
"Ten percent of the grain production before Dorito fell, and it's a one-time payment for three years."
Even if they sold everything they owned to raise the money, Brevis would still completely collapse and become an empty shell.
"At that time, an unprecedented famine and riots will break out, and the Orks, taking advantage of the situation, will be unstoppable."
"Moreover, the Sisters of Silence and the Inquisitor on the Black Ship are ticking time bombs."
"Every day they stay in Brevis, we become more dangerous."
"Once the Tyranids are exposed, the Imperium will send a fleet a hundred times stronger than we are now to annihilate us."
"At that point, we'll have no choice but to run."
"Then what do we do?" The Ripper's tone also became heavy.
"A do-or-die situation." A resolute glint flashed in Lynn's eyes.
"Since there's no way to retreat, the only option is to take the initiative and drag Dominic into the fray."
"Pull him down with us?" the Ripper asked, puzzled.
"Yes." Lynn nodded.
"I already know why Dominic was willing to give me more time."
"The main reason is not because of my battle record, nor because I am some kind of Emperor's Chosen, but because of the Warp turbulence."
"The entire Warp of the Segmentum Obscurus is now in complete chaos, and the Calixis System has become a Cage Star System."
" Dominic's fleet has been severely damaged and will require at least a week to repair."
"They simply cannot leave Brevis until the fleet is properly repaired."
Lynn was never one to sit idly by and wait for his fate. From the moment the Tithe Fleet arrived, he began investigating the enemy and searching for a way to break the deadlock.
"This is our chance." Lynn's eyes gradually turned cold.
"When the time comes, you will have the Genestealer Cult launch small-scale, multi-stage attacks on various areas of Brevis."
"Pretend to be an advance reconnaissance force of the Tyranids, already infiltrated Brevis, and about to enter the fleet's arrival phase."
"At the same time, I will release the news that a massive Tyranids fleet is heading towards the Calixis System."
"We'll arrive in Brevis soon."
"This will put Dominic in a dilemma," Lynn continued.
"If he continues to linger and force us to pay taxes, then you should have the Zerg swarm engage him directly."
"By then, it will be too late to leave."
"To protect himself, he had no choice but to cooperate with us."
"He will use his fleet and soldiers to help us fight the Tyranids."
"We don't need to get serious. We just need to keep them here and wait for Dorito's Orks to attack."
Based on Lynn's understanding of the Orks, when they arrived in Brevis, they witnessed a massive human fleet fiercely battling the Tyranids.
Do you think they can resist joining the battle?
"In this way, we can use one enemy to devour another, using the power of the Imperium to wear down the Orks ' forces."
"When they are wiped out, the Tithe problem will resolve itself."
"If they are truly strong enough, then I will use their strength to launch a counterattack against Dorito and reclaim the Agri World in one fell swoop."
"My goal has been achieved."
"What if he doesn't cooperate?" the Ripper asked.
"Not cooperating?" Lynn sneered.
"That's even better. If he escapes with the fleet, wouldn't that suit our purposes perfectly?"
"Of course, this is the worst-case scenario," Lynn added.
" Dominic is a competent soldier and appears to be loyal enough to the Imperium."
"He absolutely will not stand by and watch Brevis be devoured by the Tyranids, and then desert his post."
"He will definitely choose to cooperate with us."
The Ripper's eyes lit up as it listened.
"Wow! Lynn, you're so smart!" it exclaimed excitedly.
"In this way, we can both resolve the Tithe crisis and deplete the Orks ' forces! It's a win-win situation!"
"We can't be that optimistic." Lynn shook his head and sighed.
"This move, in the end, will injure the enemy a thousand, but also harm yourself eight hundred."
Using your own swarm to attack your own planet, you still have to choose between them.
Many civilians will lose their lives, and many buildings will be destroyed.
But this is the only option available.
"Between two evils, choose the lesser. Rather than let Brevis be destroyed by the Imperium's heavy taxes and the Orks, let it be destroyed by ourselves."
"At least, we tried."
Lynn's eyes were filled with helplessness and exhaustion.
He didn't want it to be like this either.
He also wanted to develop peacefully and steadily, so that the people of Brevis could live a good life.
But in this dark and desperate 41st millennium, kindness and mercy will only bring destruction.
To survive and protect yourself and those you care about, you must resort to any means necessary.
Even if this method will harm many innocent people.
"It's alright." The Ripper gently rubbed against Lynn's palm and said in a gentle voice.
"Whatever decision you make, I will support you. The Swarm will always be your strongest backing."
"Thank you, Rena." Lynn felt a warmth in her heart and hugged the tiny Ripper into her arms.
In this cold and cruel world, only Rena will always stand by his side without reservation, and will always believe in him and support him unconditionally.
With her by his side, he had the courage to face any hardship or obstacle.
"Alright, go get ready." Lynn gently patted its back.
"Prepare the swarm for battle. If there are no unforeseen circumstances, begin the operation in three days."
"Remember, you must remain hidden and not reveal the location of our main force in Dead World B."
"We need to convince Dominic that it really is the vanguard of the Tyranids."
"Don't worry, leave it to me!" The Ripper nodded vigorously, then burrowed into Lynn's sleeve.
Silence returned to the office.
Lynn walked to the window and looked at the Lower City in Mist.
There are countless ordinary people there, struggling to survive.
Lynn wasn't a saint, but he still felt that the world was far too cruel for the poorest people.
Their faces showed exhaustion and numbness, but also a glimmer of hope for the future.
They believed that their governor, the Emperor's chosen one, Kerry von, would lead them out of their predicament and into a better life.
But they didn't know that their governor was about to make a cruel decision to protect them.
Three days later, the flames of war will reignite in Brevis.
Many people will die, and many families will be broken.
But Lynn had no other choice.
He had to do this so that most people could survive, and so that Brevis could continue to exist.