Chapter 565 Interlude 2: The Argonauts Return
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"——No matter how impregnable the level is, you can definitely find a mountain road that "can only be passed by one person" and "that few people know but the guide happens to know" that allows a group of square warriors to bypass it in the dark and open up the situation. This is the storyteller The method of ancestors.”
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At a certain moment before Cadia was torn open and the scarlet wave surged out, within the Eye of Terror that had not yet been completely torn apart, a captured cargo ship was disguised as an Imperial transport ship, trying to pass through Cadia Beyond the gate, certain narrow routes that could only pass a few ships but not a large fleet left here and headed for their destination.
However, this simple voyage to avoid fighting as much as possible is destined to not be as ordinary as planned by the parties involved, because some of the crew members carried by this freighter are born to be watched by the eyes of the gods.
This is the highest blessing in the eyes of some people, but it is also the most vicious curse in the eyes of some people. It is also the best pastime and bet in the eyes of some gods.
The moment the freighter jumped into the sky, a gambling game for several special passengers on the ship had quietly started in the vast ocean.
As soon as the Shendao entered the subspace, all the lights on the ship began to flicker, and various systems sounded piercing alarms. Sailors and technical officers recruited from the rescued slaves and soldiers by the Olympia Academy Running back and forth, inputting more data and instructions into the new cogitator installed on the ancient system all the time, trying to make the ship's hull more stable and maintain their planned course.
The storm blowing in the subspace is becoming more and more fierce. On the screens of the auspicious array and other scanning and observation instruments, the originally turbulent and blurred route maps and various indicator charts have become increasingly blurred, as if Everyone who watched it was covered with a faint blood-colored mist, and it seemed as if the entire picture turned into a strange blue laser light.
Sometimes, those who stare at these images will feel as if they are swimming past some vague scales and pincer-like limbs in the corner of their eyes. But when the observer turns his head to look with vigilance or fear, what is there? None.
If it weren't for the fact that these sailors and officers were recruited from the demon factories and fortresses on Medlengard, and many of them had already seen many things more terrifying than this, they might not be able to support themselves until now.
Through the portholes of the bridge, the people on the command throne could see that the cargo ship's Geller position was also in danger amidst the constant impact and the roars of monsters and monsters trying to get close to them, like a boy who was blown out of shape by a naughty boy. Soap bubbles, which inadvertently increase stress.
Moreover, even by the standards of places like the Human Empire where the service life of ships or certain special vehicles is measured in millennia and tens of thousands of years, the "Deep Mourning" can be said to be an old ship.
The ship's keel made an uneasy creaking sound in the strong vast ocean storm, and its bow and side armor plates were covered in interstellar dust from different periods over thousands of years. , micro comets or other objects were blown by the stellar solar wind and slapped on it, forming dense depressions with pits.
The interiors of these places have actually been reinforced by the careful Soltarn people before departure, but if there is not an orbital dock with sufficient resources to perform further repairs and maintenance on the ship, it will not be enough to just rely on internal repairs. Somewhat unsatisfactory.
But in general, given that this is the most suitable ship they can find, does not require a large number of crew members, and is capable of making subspace jumps, these travelers who are eager to return cannot ask for it. More - it's better than flying back with the Thunderhawk that was temporarily hoisted in, and trying to cross the border with just one Thunderhawk. Crossing the galaxy is also a nearly suicidal behavior for the Space Marines - although the two main passengers did execute the death oath at the beginning, if they were really completed, their pursuit of desire would become This is also human nature.
Some crew members on the bridge who were too close to the portholes shivered a few times and moved away from the windows. Void waves, whirlpools, curtains and light smoke of different colors rolled across the bow of the ship, as if there were countless invisible forces watching, laughing, and critically watching the Deep Mourning, just like a group of gourmets holding knives and forks around napkins. , looking at this delicious fish with a steel plate carapace with a critical eye. If he finds a gap, he will immediately tear out the tender flesh and blood from inside and eat it.
"Put me through to Navigator Bubble." Uriel Ventris on the command throne asked the communications officer, and the latter complied.
"Hello? Mr. Torfan, I'd like to know why our ship's course and Geller's position seem to be shaky right now. Can you explain it? Are we still on course?"
"I...I feel bad, Lord Ventress. I'm sorry. I'll try to stabilize them. We didn't go off course, I just...I just..."
Navigator Thor Vann's voice came from the loudspeaker on the bridge, "I've just never been separated from the Star Torch for so long... I haven't felt anything like this... but there's no one else here either. You can refer to the information. Although we should be leaving the Eye of Terror, I... I looked towards Terra... The light I saw was separated by layers of curtains, whirlpools and other things. It was too weak... I couldn't be sure whether... it was... whether it was from the Star Torch. Light, my lord. So it took me some time to discern and determine.”
They heard the navigator's upper and lower teeth tremble and make a soft clicking sound.
Torfann's navigator lineage comes from a high-ranking family on Terra. It is ancient, powerful and pure, which guarantees his mental toughness, psychic power and professional training, which is also reflected in his clothing.
This is also the reason why he was not killed immediately when he was attacked, but was only knocked unconscious and taken away as a prisoner. In fact, what is even more coincidental is that refrigeration ships like the Deep Mourning that are only sent to transport corpses are usually There would be no such advanced navigator as Torfann as the navigator.
This temporary overqualification order was really a mistake. Torfann happened to be transferred to the shift by lottery at that time, because although the corpse ship sounded terrible, the route was absolutely empty, and there were no imperial ships. If given the choice, he would choose to share the route and coordinates with a corpse ship. Even a pirate ship would avoid special ships like the Deep Mourning, so Torfan thought from the beginning that he could return to the solar system to continue after the expiration date. Serving, he preferred the bright and full light of the star torch there.
But no one expected that this seemingly simple and boring journey was actually full of blood and misfortune, and he would eventually fall into the hands of the Iron Warrior rebels.
...But how things turned around and turned into what they are now is completely incomprehensible and confusing to Torfan, who was unconscious and woken up again. First of all, he remembered that the steel monster that crawled out of the corpse-carrying freezer killed Captain Ma Tang of the Deep Mourning, as well as other people, and even the security guards on the ship before knocking him unconscious. Three Ultramarines...?
...But the person sitting on the command throne now, although the shoulder armor is not painted with the inverted omega-shaped white chapter emblem of the Ultramarines, the paint on his power armor is indeed the special ultramarine blue that Torfann is familiar with. Every move he made was that of the most senior ultramarine, and the navigator had also seen guards outside his room. Although the big man was bigger than the average Space Marine, he also looked like an Ultramarine that was more in line with his impression of the standard. From his temperament to his attitude, as well as Torfann's psychic intuition, everything was there. Tell him that these two people are not only Ultramarines, but they should even be two senior Ultramarines veterans.
But the problem is that the third one wearing power armor...well, he doesn't know what to call him. The appearance, tone and command methods of the two ultramarines are very consistent with the feeling of the children of Ultramar, but the problem is that the third one is personal.
The third man's armor was originally not ultramarine - Torfan still remembers that when Ventress and Pasanius pulled this guy out of the freezer door who was covered in frost, Ventress looked at him. He felt so angry and helpless, mixed with some uneasiness. These uneasinesses were more obvious on Pasanius's face, but Ventris stopped the blond warrior from speaking. After a burst of internal communication, the third man's gun-silver and black armor was painted into the ultramarine blue of the Ultramarines by the original paint left on the ship.
The exposed skin of the third Space Marine was obviously dark pink everywhere, as if he had been peeled off and had just grown new skin, but his face was equally straight. Except for the different hair color, this warrior named Samokwan also looks very similar to the leader of the Ultramarines, Uriel Ventress. The similarity is so great that he looks like Ventress's son. -But Space Marines should not have naturally produced children. At least Torfann has never heard of children of the opposite sex like mortals.
The coincidence here makes people like Torfann, who has spent his whole life in prophecy, interpretation and reading comprehension, hesitant. If the third person, Samokan, is also an extreme warrior, wouldn't it be three extremes? The warrior...the same as he remembered? It’s just that Captain Ma Tang and others are missing... But is this a hidden revelation? Was it a new path revealed to him by the Emperor?
After all, Torfan also knows that once the matter of being captured by Chaos is confirmed, it will be an eternal stain on him. If there is no better reason, even if he returns to the empire, he will be audited by the family, and it is very likely that he will be Abandoned, thrown on some unsavory ship, becoming a commodity traded for money between families and wealthy merchants, instead of serving on nobler void ships and more honorable missions.
But if the three Ultramarines vouch for him, it seems that he really has a chance to return to the empire. Captain Madang is indeed a good person, and everyone else is also good, but if they all disappear... they will not be able to speak... Torfan's palms were cold with sweat, and he quietly wiped his hands on his robe.
Then Torfan will have to think about his future career and destiny. This is not too much.
In light of this, Navigator ultimately remained silent about everything that happened before he returned to the Navigator bubble.
The memory was over. Torfan gathered all his energy again and jumped from the edge of the Eye of Terror to the next Mandeville point. Although it was not too far, and it was a trail with a map, it was weak because The star torch and the unfamiliar route still require him to go all out and concentrate.
The navigator's third eye clung to the flickering light of the distant torch in his mind's eye.
The angry red formed a huge wave and hit the vortex formed by pain and other emotions. The two collided fiercely, arousing waves that caused billions of aliens or human souls to appear and disappear, while the yellow-green mist formed by despair formed. Like low-hanging clouds on the sea, quietly but completely covering everything below. There seemed to be something behind the clouds, black, powerful, platinum, powerful, stars, stars, nebulae, the sun... But as a competent and professional navigator, Torfan forced himself to look away from trying to see clearly Move away from the efforts behind the clouds and continue to focus on the little light in front of you. Only in this way can they escape from the subspace ocean storm.
The light of the bright lighthouse in the distance seems to be more obvious. The beautiful and flashing colorful light makes the navigator's mind calm down unconsciously.
But this storm has been raging for a long time, Torfane pondered, tapping the keyboard with the navigator's pale and slender fingers to calculate and correct the course, like two giant white-fronted tall spiders lying on the keyboard, the error It’s been a while...
"Get me through to the bridge," he said to a brass speaking tube beside him. "I have some forecast reports to tell Lord Ventris."
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"Where is this?" Uriel Ventris asked, looking at the extremely busy space in front of him near Mandeville Point, which could be described as crowded and busy for void ships. "Aren't we jumping out towards a certain Mandeville Point on the edge of the Sun Sector? Mr. Torfan?"
"Actually..." the navigator replied, "The report I submitted before made it very clear. Sir, it would be great if we could pass through the interface between subspace and reality completely. The time difference between my predictions may be one to one." Within a hundred years, and we even successfully appeared in a territory controlled by the empire, my lord, we can’t ask for more.”
"Okay, you're right, we can't rush it, just leave the Eye of Terror first. We can find a nearby Imperial world and find the Astropathic Choir to try to contact us. So where is this? You didn't say you were heading towards the Star Torch Is the light jumping? ”
"I swear to the throne of Terra and the honor of my family that this is so, my lord. My navigator orders are to leap towards the nearest and brightest light." Torfann's voice was confused and uncertain, "But here... there is also a torch. I don't understand, my lord, but it can indeed be observed in the warp, and it also guided me to jump out."
Something invisible and underworld touched Uriel Ventris's feelings when he looked deep into the Rubicon II galaxy. He couldn't tell, but... there was something very important there.
When he raised his eyes, he saw that Pasanius had the same thoughtful expression, so he nodded.
"Then let's see what's going on here first."
(End of chapter)