Chapter 34 Ma'kande No. 2
After leaving the armory, Soshyan walked through a wide passage and reached the area at the rear of the battleship.
After leaving the passage, a lobby with a black stone dome appeared in front. At the other end of the lobby was a series of huge windows.
There was nothing in the middle of the window. Soshyan saw an orange-yellow trail outside gradually blending into the colorful torrent, and the vortex in the distance was also dyed with a touch of pink - in All colors in subspace cannot be directly defined in language.
The edges of the windows in the lobby were painted with images of Space Marines, and the Emperor was everywhere.
He looks down from a niche, supported by carefully arranged stone pillars, pointing his sword toward the sky.
This is the church on the Starfire, and it is also the temporary monastery of the Space Marines.
The Imperial battleships may not have weapons, but they must have churches. That is the best way to maintain the loyalty and morale of the sailors during the long voyage, and it is also another guarantee for subspace navigation - the Emperor's Eyes will be on these ships sailing the dangerous seas.
Most of the works on the dome depict scenes of Space Marines engaged in warfare, training, craftsmanship and sacrifice.
On the face of the emperor, who occupies a prominent position, there is an indescribable sadness, which directly hits Soshyan's soul.
He was looking down, his left hand stretched forward, blessing his heirs.
Soshiyan continued to move forward. The place was empty without any servants or servitors, because the monastery is the spiritual home of the Space Marines and their most private place, and it is impossible for mortals to set foot in it.
Subsequently, a black steel door was opened, and Soshyan entered a small chapel - there are many such chapels in the monastery, where space warriors who are confused will meet with priests here Make confession.
A lone beam of light passed through the thick wall and shone in the center of the chapel. On the other side thirty yards away was a rose-red window.
The walls here are carved from black stone, inlaid with many rare minerals, and gold and silver embellish everything.
Soshyan stopped in the center of the light, knelt down on one knee, and looked up at the golden Eagle emblem.
Under the eagle emblem, there are six flags, one of which is the regimental flag of the battle group, and the other five are the company flags of the first company, the third company, the fourth company, the sixth company and the seventh company. These are all Recovered from the wreckage of the World Engine, none of it is complete.
Soshiyang said nothing, just watched quietly.
Until half an hour later, a slight sound of footsteps interrupted him.
“I’m here to meditate.”
Soshyan didn't look back, he knew who was coming.
"With all due respect, you have spent enough time on this. As mortals often say, the past is the past."
Wearing a skull helmet and power armor Yazdan Shahinyan, who had been dyed black, appeared behind Soshyan.
"Now that you are our Chapter Master, you must hold yourself accountable."
Soshyan stood up and turned to look at Yazdan Shahinyan, Chaplain of the Chapter.
His power armor has been completely dyed black, covering every inch, and is engraved with dense prayers from his boots to his neck.
Holding a priest's staff in his right metal glove, the top of the staff is the golden imperial eagle emblem, and the unactivated stand shines in the dim light.
"Losa just told me that Ma'Kande II is approaching."
Yazdan continued:
"Are you ready, Chapter Long.”
As the Chapter Chaplain, in principle Yazdan is under the jurisdiction of Soshyan, but in fact he is separated from the simple superior-subordinate relationship.
Because he is responsible for the soul and thoughts of the entire battle group, including Soshyan's.
“I’m ready.”
Soshyan answered forcefully, meeting Yazdan’s serious gaze.
“The war group needs leadership now, strong leadership, Soshiyan, you cannot fall into confusion at this time.”
"I will always keep a clear mind"
"This mission is very important."
Yazdan's whisper echoed in the secret room of the monastery.
"Our battle group is now like a person who is seriously ill and has not recovered. The body has been completely dried up. We cannot accept the smallest failure and must seize every nutrient."
"I All those supplies will be taken back for the sake of the war group.”
"This will be your first true test as Chapter Master."
"Then I welcome it, Master Chaplain."
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Forge World Ma'kande II, 0200 Terra Standard Time
"These documents contain a review of the agenda."
General Sora, the commander of the Orbital Defense Station, rubbed his chubby hands, then turned around and said:
"Any more questions? Priest Loken." These words brought him from the past two years. Pulled out of the boredom that had occupied his mind for the past hour, the red-robed priest of the Mechanicus shook his head, which had not yet installed too many mechanical plug-ins.
The strategy room is quiet, the image screen behind the webmaster is shining, and the light is still dim.
The clicking of the scribe servitor in the corner stopped immediately, as its automatic quill had finished recording a few minutes ago, and the other SADF officers were staring at him.
"No problem, sir."
Loken spread his hands and said dryly:
"A complete and precise review, just like before, you are just like the Thinker As rigorous as a calculator."
"Really?"
A young officer wearing a military hat asked suddenly, the man's ruthless eyes were similar to those that Loken liked to give to his servitors. Just as powerful as a blunt blow.
"We are really relieved to have your approval. I will definitely tell Priest Farah your important points when I share the holographic briefing with him next time."
The other thirteen Local Defense Force officers did not reaction, but Loken could feel their chuckles.
He was angered. Most of his body was still weak organic matter, so it was normal for him to be unable to control his emotions.
Loken suppressed his anger and turned it into a respectful nod.
He was originally the Archbishop's favorite apprentice, but after his mentor died in an "accident", he naturally lost power and was driven from the promising ordnance factory to the defensive track. , just like discarded defective products.
Those who were hostile to him were waiting for his few metal prosthetics to rust in the dust. Even the defense forces, who had ignored him in the past, began to wink at him.
"So."
The webmaster looked at Loken with a very kind smile and said:
"Priest Loken, could you please further clarify what I mentioned? The last bit?”
The last bit, sir?
Loken tilted his head and pretended not to understand. He had been listening to binary music in the built-in headphones.
"Yes, mentioned less than a minute ago."
Loken said nothing, and the silence in the room stretched to painful, unnatural lengths.
In the end, the hatch was broken by the knocking. Loken really wanted to save the person who opened the door and give him a kiss, then anoint him with holy oil, and then make an exception and recite a hymn to him.
“Who!”
The stationmaster's affable façade was immediately torn to pieces, and he roared loudly, but his gaze never left Loken.
The sound of knocking on the door sounded again. The stationmaster frowned and flicked his sensor rod to open the lock.
The hatch slid open, and a young man wearing the uniform of the apocalypse department quickly walked in.
"What's the matter?"
The webmaster scolded, and the man gave a quick salute.
"Emergency briefing from the captain, sir! The sensor just sounded, and the outpost auspicious device on the edge of the galaxy trajectory monitoring station detected an independent ship breaking into the real universe from subspace!"
"Identity? "
"We are still verifying it, sir, but preliminary scans of the keel markings and identification codes indicate that it... may be the New Pharos. "
"The New Pharos? "
The webmaster frowned.
"Didn't it set sail for the Extreme Starfield a week ago?"
Although the planet Ma'kande 2 has declined for a long time, it is still a forging world, and the High Lords Council of Terra will still Issue production quotas to provide small arms to some fortress worlds and Astra Militarum legions.
And Ma'kande II is also one of the few forge worlds that can still produce Malcador heavy tanks. Although this tank is relatively outdated, there are still some Astra Militarum equipment.
"Yes, sir, that's what the captain said, we've tried to signal it but got no reply... The communication may have been blocked by the asteroid field, but they definitely received our message News."
"How far is she?"
"Just entering the star belt, sir. Once passed, it's only three hours' sail from the anchorage."
"Gentlemen, it seems we have a situation."
The station commander asked the assembled officers They said:
"The defense system immediately entered combat readiness."
(End of this chapter)