Chapter 23: Have You Just Returned from a Great Expedition?

Colonel Kovek had his reasons for drilling the troops. Once the soldiers had grown accustomed to their augmented bodies, he intended to lead them in clearing the remaining sections of the ship of the heretics and xenos infesting them. Only by leveraging such a feat of arms would he have the standing to petition the Ramses Think-Tank to authorize an astropathic communication, allowing him to contact the nearest Departmento Munitorum supply depot on Cadia to request reinforcements for his regiment.

According to Departmento Munitorum regulations, Astartes are theoretically forbidden from interfering in the operational decisions of the Astra Militarum; in terms of rank, a Colonel of the Imperial Guard is considered the equal of a Chapter Master. However, regulations are one thing, and the reality of the situation is another. In this instance, Colonel Kovek felt it was absolutely necessary to keep the Angels informed.

Before he could speak, however, he was interrupted by a sudden query from Romulus.

"?"

Though puzzled, Kovek responded immediately. "That is entirely possible, Lord Romulus."

Cadians are, by nature, trained in armored warfare; given sufficient supplies, any Cadian infantry regiment can seamlessly transition into an armored regiment. For the Cadian Shock Troops, the men have always waited for the equipment, never the other way around.

"Follow us, and Sister Arabella as well."

Having received his answer, Romulus turned and led the group toward the ship’s hold that they had only recently cleared. It is well known that the capabilities of an Astartes far exceed those of a common mortal. Consequently, battlefields that are manageable for an Astartes are often hellscapes for mere mortals, who lack the reflexes to evade damage, sufficient mobility, and the protective gear to withstand the majority of incoming fire.

What, then, would allow the Astra Militarum to overcome these disadvantages and support an Astartes advance in high-intensity combat? The answer, inevitably, is sufficient armored strength—armor enough to equip every single soldier.

"Emperor preserve us... is that a Stormblade? And a Malcador? Even a Baneblade... and what is that? Emperor above! It's a Fellblade super-heavy tank. I have only ever seen such creations in the archives of the Departmento Munitorum."

The Commissar was a veteran who had seen it all—he had survived the First War for Armageddon, where all manner of horrors had emerged, and he was usually capable of maintaining his composure. But the young Colonel Kovek could no longer control his expression. He gasped at the sight of the super-heavy vehicles with their elegant, angular silhouettes in the warehouse, so stunned that he failed to notice the Leman Russ Executioner tucked away in the corner. In all his memory, there had never been a moment where so many relic-class vehicles had been gathered in one place.

"Why are they all plasma variants?" Romulus asked in a low voice, still familiarizing himself with the characteristics of the various Imperial units.

"No choice," Ramses shrugged. "These Tech-Priests are from Ryza. When we perform Warp-retrieval and unlock the schematics, the results keep leaning in that direction. But the plasma versions are actually more powerful than the originals—at least, that’s how it is with Ryza-pattern gear."

"Soul-materialization depends on the constituent materials, not the technological complexity. If I’m paying the same price in mass, I might as well not settle for something inferior. That would be a waste." He gestured toward the Fellblade super-heavy tanks and the troop transports. "Besides, it’s not like we don’t have others. Look at that Fellblade—I just pulled the schematics from the Warp. It has an invincible demolisher cannon; one shot per monstrous creature."

"And that Gorgon transport—once you engage the void shields and charge the enemy lines, a whole squad of 'cans' can pour out and turn the enemy to dust. You could swap in twenty Land Raiders and they wouldn't be half as reliable as this single beast."

Romulus nodded in agreement.

"It’s as if we’re still fighting the Great Crusade," Arthur remarked, unable to stop himself from scratching his head.

Compared to the current state of the Imperium—where, aside from Land Raiders and Rhinos, the vast majority of forces are stuck with Leman Russes and Chimeras—the equipment they were able to pull out was almost obscenely luxurious. Of course, this was a necessary measure to ensure combat effectiveness; as Ramses had said, why settle for less when the cost is the same? Once they finished re-equipping the Space Marines, the sight of them lined up in Mark VI and Cataphractii armor would surely make any connoisseur drool. That is simply the benefit of being able to materialize souls.

"The Cadians should be able to operate these vehicles, right?"

"Absolutely, my Lord," Colonel Kovek replied. Aside from the Fellblades—which currently were only held in small numbers by Astartes Chapters—Kovek was fully confident that his troops could master the other armored assets in short order.

"That is good." Romulus led them to another chamber and pointed to a rows of neatly arranged combat armor. "This is Solar-pattern void combat armor. It will provide the soldiers with better protection. You may select a set for yourselves as well."

"This armor?" Kovek reflexively declined. "I have no need for this. My duty is to command the battlefield from the rear. Distribute them to the lads on the front lines; they need them more than I do."

"Everyone gets a set, and if they are damaged, they can be replenished." Romulus pointed toward the weapon warehouse. "Oh, and be sure to collect the corresponding weapon kits from over there. There are manuals included for all the vehicles and gear; remember to read them."

"…My Lord," Kovek said, looking at Romulus, who acted as if his gear was common, high-quality stock and was now handing it all over to them. He couldn't help but offer a word of caution. "This equipment is far too precious."

His eyes lingered on the Solar-pattern void armor. He had only ever seen similar equipment used by the Arbites' suppression squads. Those men were elite graduates of the Progenium—supermen among mortals, much like the Commissars—and even the Tempestus Scions, known as the pinnacle of the Astra Militarum, were often considered mere underachievers compared to them.

"No matter how precious it is, it is only useful if someone is using it." Romulus reached out and stroked the life-sized, authentic equipment that he could never have obtained in his previous life. If he had possessed this ability in his past, he would have driven those black-hearted companies like Bandai and GW into bankruptcy; a single model’s weight in plastic was worth nearly as much as precious metal.

The gesture, however, was perceived by Kovek as one of deep, solemn reflection.

"I understand, my Lord!"

"Good, then it is settled." Romulus withdrew his hand, looking with some surprise at Kovek, who seemed to have been moved by a sudden sense of mission. "Have your troops equip the weapons and familiarize themselves with the vehicles. We need an armored force capable of providing us with sufficient fire support."

He turned to Arabella. "Sister Arabella, we have also prepared replacement gear for the sisters of the Order of the Sacred Rose. Until reinforcements arrive, we shall work together to purge the remaining enemies within the ship, coordinating our tactics."

"Understood, Lord Romulus!"

"Then, I leave this to you." With those words, Romulus turned and walked away with his comrades. Their private meeting was not yet over.