Chapter 277: The Deal
Mortarion harbored a habitual—one might even say excessive—wariness toward any Legion, Ultramarines included.
Especially after his friendly but decisive virtual duel with Guilliman, Mortarion flatly forbade his Death Guard from harassing their blue-armored counterparts. Instead, he buried himself in the Apothecarion, working overtime.
Thus, when Garro reported to Hades that Mortarion had finished developing toxin bombs specifically for use against Ultramarines, and requested Armoury rooms to produce a few samples, Hades almost lost his composure.
A moment ago, he'd been enjoying a perfectly cordial chat with Chapter Master Gage. The next second, his private channel pinged: "Start manufacturing anti-Ultramarine gas bombs."
Of course, Ultramarines weren't the only ones on Mortarion's "priority list." Every Legion that had ever fought alongside the Death Guard had received similar gifts.
So far, Mortarion had proudly rolled out Iron Warriors Happy Bombs, Luna Wolves Happy Bombs, and—most recently—Ultramarines Happy Bombs.
He had even attempted to synthesize a Thousand Sons-specific variant using flakes of skin and hair left behind after Hades pummeled one of them at the banquet. Unfortunately, the genetic samples were too meager, and the project collapsed.
Mortarion's only comment: "You didn't hit them hard enough. Next time, make sure it draws blood."
Hades had no comment toward that.
While the Armouries worked overtime cranking out these "Ultramarine Happy Bombs," the efficiency of Guilliman's bureaucrats ensured that campaign reports for Absyrtus were processed at lightning speed. Both Legions would soon be ready to depart.
The paperwork wasn't the real delay. Those were mere forms, easily stamped and filed.
The real matter lay in the unpublished agreements signed between Guilliman and Mortarion (with Hades at his side).
As the sole witness, Garro admitted he could not fathom how Hades had persuaded Mortarion to swallow his pride and sign anything with the Ultramarines. Yet the result was undeniable:
Even if the two Primarchs clashed on a personal level, both recognized that the other was at least capable of negotiation—and, perhaps more importantly, that they shared both a common threat and (to some degree) a common interest.
At the very least, thanks to Guilliman's skillful rhetoric, Mortarion conceded that his Macraggean brother understood the dangers of sorcery and warp-spawn, and was willing to take measures against them.
Thus, the Death Guard agreed to hand over a limited stockpile of anti-psyker weapons to the Ultramarines—on strict conditions.
The weapons' origin must remain secret.
They must never be displayed before other Legions.
The issue would be confined to the same models the Death Guard had deployed on Absyrtus: two grenade types and the purgation flamers.
After careful weighing, Hades limited the agreement to just two: the Black Round and the flamethrower. White Rounds were too risky for anyone unaccustomed to constant fighting against psykers.
The chosen weapons were more than enough. Against minor warp entities, one simply hurled a Black Round, then advanced as normal. In the nullified zone, most enemies collapsed almost on their own.
Afterward, the flamers would cleanse the remains, halting the spread of corruption.
Of course, the quantities were minimal—nowhere near enough for long-term or large-scale campaigns.
Both sides knew as much that this was only a token exchange, and Guilliman, ever fond of studying and imitating other Legions, made no complaints.
In truth, part of his eagerness stemmed from an old saying: "Spend a fortune to buy a worthy horse's bones." Even a symbolic trade could pave the way for future trust.
On the other side of the table, what Hades valued most in the agreement wasn't the flashy weapons clauses, but the polite-sounding afterthoughts written at the end—
"If either Legion encounters warp-spawn incursions within nearby systems, and one requests aid, the other must respond and provide assistance. If necessary, both sides may also negotiate production and allocation of anti-psyker weapons as they see fit."
At first glance, it seemed the Death Guard were at a disadvantage, since they already possessed the weapons. But in truth, the Ultramarines had something far deadlier: production capacity. Guilliman's Five Hundred Worlds could be converted into mass-production hives at a moment's notice.
Guilliman himself might be puzzled by the clause, but Hades knew that when the day came, the Lord of Macragge would immediately understand what it meant.
And if the Ultramarines ever fell to corruption? Then at least the Death Guard would already have reason to keep their guard up.
After much thought, Hades decided to trust Mortarion's specially-prepared Happy Bombs… and to trust his own judgment of Guilliman.
From their conversations, Hades had subtly confirmed that Guilliman's household was intact, his mother still alive, and his temperament balanced—neither fanatical nor unstable.
Most importantly, Guilliman remained deeply wary of the warp, without harboring that accursed, destructive curiosity.
Besides, the Ultramarines hadn't yet seen the Death Guard's full anti-psyker arsenal. On board the Endurance, the Wraith Knight still stood unmoving, while entire stockpiles of munitions lay dormant.
Yes, Hades mused. Tailor the medicine to the illness. With their moderate, pragmatic stance, the Ultramarines' sluggish sensitivity to sorcery made them trustworthy—at least a little.
Of course, Hades would never admit that his "trust" was colored by a personal bias. No, all his conclusions came from careful observation, naturally.
Yet in his heart, a voice whispered: You're gambling on this being the canon timeline you know. Even if details are off, the Primarchs and Legions are still who the histories say they are.
It can't be… nobody actually transmigrates into some fanfiction AU, right?
And besides, even if the Four Ruinous Powers hurled their bricks with full strength, a mere "information advantage" wouldn't change everything. In the end, victory came from strength and strategy.
Meanwhile, Mortarion, perceiving what Hades truly valued, grew more ambiguous in his stance toward these clauses.
The Lord of Death scrutinized Guilliman carefully. This time, Mortarion was serious. He began rapidly combing through all records of the Ultramarines.
Gradually, he seemed to grasp Hades' intent.
If the opponent remained ignorant of the Death Guard's anti-psyker measures, keep it that way. But if war forced the Death Guard to reveal their null units—and the enemy witnessed warp anomalies firsthand—then the Death Guard would step forward, warn them of the dangers, and leave them with a handful of tools to fight sorcery.
So that's it.
In truth, Mortarion had tried to do the same with Horus—leaving his brothers warning signals wherever possible.
A shame the Death Guard had not yet developed the Black Round in those days.
Perhaps gifting each of my brothers a single Black Round wouldn't be a bad idea, Mortarion thought quietly. At least then, they'd have a sliver of defense against the warp.
But the Black Rounds' key ingredient remained Blanks—and Blanks were still too rare.
As he listened to Hades and Guilliman's exchange, Mortarion unconsciously glanced at Hades.
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