Chapter 17: Legiones Astartes
Upon reaching the forge world's surface, steel structures stretched as far as the eye could see, and the air was thick with the smell of metal.
Omega and Russell traveled by flyer, weaving through air filled with factory smoke. Looking down, Omega saw molten iron flowing like lava from a giant factory, accompanied by the sounds of forging.
Russell, familiar with the route, guided them through the sky. After flying over a thousand kilometers, they still saw giant forges below.
Soon, they arrived at a massive hive city, thousands of meters tall. It was one of the few places on this forge world that provided living space for ordinary people.
According to Russell, merchants traveling to and from Shana, as well as the Imperial Army, would stop at the hive city.
Perhaps due to its towering height, the metal-scented air that filled the entire sky did not blow into the hive city, which also had specialized air purification systems.
The flyer docked at the hive city's port. As soon as they stepped out, they saw a large number of armed soldiers in various military uniforms, including many officers.
As Omega and Russell walked by, these ordinary soldiers respectfully made way. Astartes warriors were beings to be revered by the Imperial Army, and those with fully mechanical bodies even more so.
The forge world was Mechanicus territory. If they wanted good equipment and military supplies, soldiers who would soon return to the battlefield dared not offend the Mechanicus.
After walking for a short while, they saw several Space Marines in wolf-adorned power armor, carrying boltguns. They eyed Omega's unmarked power armor suspiciously, unable to recall which Astartes Legion he belonged to.
A Space Wolves captain, seeing that a Mechanicus adept accompanied him, curiously stepped forward and asked, "Brother, which Astartes Legion are you from? There are no markings on your armor."
"Alpha Legion. You are Space Wolves warriors of the Sixth Legion, a pleasure to meet you." Omega said concisely, glancing at the wolf emblem.
He had long memorized the markings and power armor distinctions of each Astartes Legion.
The Space Wolves captain was somewhat surprised to hear this.
After a careful look, he directly took off his helmet, revealing a bald, bearded man who grinned and said, I thought the Twentieth Legion, known as the Ghost Legion, were all ghosts."
"Hah, but you're people too! We're all brothers, let's take off our helmets and see what we look like?"
"Classified," Omega calmly replied, as Russell watched, curious about his response.
"Ha-ha-ha, Classified is not the answer, brother!"
Seeing Omega's uncooperative attitude, and as the surrounding ordinary people curiously watched the scene, the captain directly tossed his helmet to a subordinate behind him, even putting down his bolter.
He then stood bare-handed, taking a stance and looking at Omega.
Omega handed his weapon to Russell and stepped forward, clenching his fists, unafraid to engage. This stance made the captain and his men's eyes light up.
The Space Wolves were naturally fond of fighting and didn't care about attracting a crowd.
The captain quickly lunged forward, throwing a punch at Omega's head. Omega parried with one hand and delivered a flying kick to the opponent's chest.
Bang!
The Space Wolves captain blocked with his arm, but was surprised as the powerful blow forced him back several steps. Realizing his opponent was skilled, he immediately attacked Omega with full force.
The opponent's movements seemed extremely slow to Omega, but he still concealed his true strength, matching the captain's level, engaging in repeated offensive and defensive exchanges through combat techniques.
To outsiders, this battle appeared lively and evenly matched.
After dozens of moves, the Space Wolves captain was knocked back by a punch and angrily said, "Fight with all your strength! Don't think I don't know you're holding back. If I lose, it's on me, don't look down on me!"
"Let's stop here. Your Space Wolves squad is here to maintain order. Look at the situation around you. Aren't you afraid your superior will punish you?" Omega said, seeing the large crowd of onlookers watching with surprise and excitement, and offering a timely reminder.
The Space Wolves captain looked left and right, seeing hundreds of ordinary people watching him. Though he didn't care much, he hesitated when he thought of his sergeant.
When he came to his senses, he found that Omega had already disappeared.
Only the red-robed Mechanicus adept gradually vanished into the crowd, leaving the onlookers somewhat disappointed.
"What are you looking at? Get lost!" The fight was unsatisfying.
The Space Wolves captain took his helmet, put it on, and yelled at the surrounding crowd. Instantly, the spectators scattered and ran away.
The Mechanicus adept led Omega onto a specialized city transport flyer. Russell explained the current situation of this forge world to Omega, noting that the First Legion, Dark Angels, and the Sixth Legion, Space Wolves, were primarily stationed there.
However, this final decisive battle of the Rangdan War involved more than just these two Astartes Legions; Horus of the Sixteenth Legion, Luna Wolves, also led a coalition force.
The coalition led by Horus mostly consisted of detachments from other Astartes Legions joining this battle as support. Still, the Dark Angels and Space Wolves were the main assault forces throughout the campaign.
Hearing this, Omega asked, "The Emperor highly values Horus. Why isn't he leading this campaign?"
Russell asked with a strange expression, "Why does my lord think Lord Horus should lead this campaign? It's the same with Lord Lion El'Jonson of the Dark Angels. Lord Alpharius has a very good impression of Lord Lion El'Jonson."
Omega, unable to answer directly, questioned, "Tell me, Russell, who do you think, among the Primarchs on Holy Terra, is considered to have the best relationship with the Emperor?"
"That without a doubt would be Lord Horus."
Russell initially found this question difficult to answer, but recalling what he had seen and heard on Terra, he still replied, as it was something everyone could observe.
Could it be that because of a good relationship with the Emperor, Lord Horus should lead the campaign?
Russell could not understand this logic. He was proficient in all aspects of mechanical technology, but he truly did not understand human relations.
"Lion El'Jonson must have some special reason for leading this campaign. The Dark Angels have performed very well in past campaigns, haven't they?" Omega asked curiously.
Russell confirmed, "Yes, from the very first campaign, it was the Dark Angels engaging the Rangda. From the beginning of the Rangdan War until now, the Dark Angels have always been on the front lines, and the First Legion's performance has consistently been outstanding."
Russel paused as he realized, "I understand, so that's how it is. No wonder Lord Horus isn't leading this major campaign."
After understanding this issue, Russell couldn't help but admire Omega's analytical and observational skills. At the same time, he gained a general understanding of the competitive relationship among the Primarchs, but he dared not think further.
They arrived at a gourmet restaurant on the upper level of the hive city, operated by a Rogue Trader. The staff looked at the Mechanicus adept, who was entirely mechanical, with surprise and doubt.
Ordinary people generally believed the people of the Mechanicus did not need to eat, as they maintained their functionality through energy. No tech-priests had ever been seen in a restaurant before.
Russell also told Omega to order whatever he wanted to eat. Omega requested a private room and ordered a table full of food.
When the food arrived, the Mechanicus adept busied himself researching chemical formulations to pass the time, indeed maintaining his body's operation with nuclear batteries.
Omega looked at the Mechanicus adept with a pitying expression and began to eat heartily.
A Space Marine's stomach could even digest steel, so eating the plates themselves would pose no problem whatsoever; they would still be digested.
After eating quickly, Omega felt sufficiently full, looking at the table of empty plates.
The sensation of food being digested immediately upon consumption was somewhat strange. He picked up a plate and, under the other's surprised gaze, asked with a smile, "Russell, can my stomach digest this plate?"
"Certainly. A dinner plate is much more fragile than steel. A Space Marine's stomach can digest it, let alone yours."
Crunch!
With a sound, the plate in his hand had a chip missing. He chewed a few times; the taste was terrible. He swallowed it directly. His powerful digestive system quickly dissolved the plate fragments, and he was completely fine.
After putting down the plate and tidying up, Omega put on his helmet.
"Cough, cough." Russell cleared his throat, not knowing what to say.
'His curiosity truly is noteworthy.'
[End of Chapter]
Sorry for the delay, won't happen again \( 0 . 0 )/