Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 497

Chapter 495, Looking for Death?

The Inquisitors of the Silver Tribunal were deeply infuriated by the Alliance’s disrespectful behavior.

Such situations were rare in their careers.

They were the Inquisition! Their word was final, their power was absolute! They treated no local official with any respect; accusing them of treason was treason!

Wherever they went, weren’t they treated with caution? Local forces throughout the empire knelt on the ground in fear, awaiting their verdict with trepidation. In this process, ardent flattery and servile fawning were common.

Eliminating the Inquisition’s spies?

Who would dare?

Although they were sent in secret, the local forces were well aware that the spies were part of the Inquisition. They wouldn’t be able to coax them into confessing, and at most, they would try their best to conceal the evidence. Only when absolutely necessary would they dare to take action.

But often, that was when the Inquisitors flew into a rage and sentenced the powerful to death.

But the Alliance wasn’t like that at all.

While there were due courtesy, they clashed in many areas. For example, regarding spies, the Alliance didn’t care whether or not they’d uncovered any intelligence. Any spies sent without their permission would be treated as illegal spies.

Outraged?

Go ahead.

The Silver Inquisitors, however, didn’t dare to do anything.

Would they dare to pronounce a verdict based on the lack of definitive evidence?

Obviously not.

Even though they’d received numerous urgings from the Fury over the past year,

they still didn’t dare.

Declaring the Alliance traitors was easy enough, a matter of words. But looking at the Alliance intelligence officers constantly monitoring their movements, and the ‘Glory Guards’ at their disposal, the Silver Inquisitors showed no sign of moving.

After the verdict, would you, the Fury, dare to declare war? Clearly not. In the past, the Inquisition, or the forces it represented or allied with, wielded overwhelming power over local factions, their ultimate goal in finding a pretext for war.

But that’s no longer the case!

Even if the Wrath Flame forces the Silver Inquisition to issue a verdict, they won’t start a war, at least not until they’ve accumulated sufficient strength. Their verdicts are more likely to be used by the Wrath Flame Chapter as a means of suppressing the Alliance.

In reality, their verdicts could be overturned by the Glittering Inquisition, which is stalking them. Their verdicts are also impossible to enforce, and even if the Wrath Flame were to take action, they wouldn’t necessarily be able to defeat the Alliance.

Even if they could, that would be a matter of the future. Right now, the Silver Inquisitors trapped within the Alliance’s heartland are doomed!

The Alliance intelligence officers accompanying them might not be able to kill them, but the so-called “Glory Guards” are making the Silver Inquisitors tremble in fear. These elite Alliance warriors may not be as imposing as Space Marines, but clad in power armor, they are still formidable. Crucially, their spirit was even more astonishing.

The Silver Inquisitors couldn’t help but compare themselves to the fact that their own Inquisition Black Ships also carried a force of elite Stormtroopers. These were the finest veterans drawn from the Astra Militarum, equipped with exoskeleton armor and Helllasers. Each tactical squad could also deploy more powerful weaponry, such as bolter, plasma, and melta, depending on their mission objectives.

Stormtroopers were said to be from the Astra Militarum, but in reality, they were more likely employed by the Inquisition. They were one of the most reliable elite forces under its command.

However, compared to the Alliance’s Honor Guards, while their training and mental fortitude might be comparable, their equipment was subtly inferior.

The Silver Inquisitors often lamented: “Is the Alliance really that rich?”

Even if their Stormtroopers could rival the Honor Guards, they could always call upon Phoenix Space Marines. The Fury Chapter was far, far away.

Even if they simply wanted to flee, the Inquisition’s black ships were highly capable, but they were constantly accompanied by Alliance warships many times their size.

This so-called “accompanying” system, in reality surveillance, made them hesitant to act rashly, and

they had no hope of uncovering any results. They could obtain no solid intelligence, either covertly or overtly. They dared not use the Alliance’s poor attitude to condemn the Alliance, claiming they were obstructing the investigation. All of this frustrated the Silver Inquisitors.

Yet, they continued to roam the Alliance’s heartland.

They understood their purpose: to annoy you

if they couldn’t kill you. Their presence forced the Alliance to devote considerable attention to them.

And honestly, their role was indeed fulfilled. Otherwise, so many intelligence officers, so many Honor Guards, and a considerable number of Alliance warships could have been doing other things instead of just accompanying the Inquisitors and preventing them from causing unforeseen problems.

However, they were leaving now. They

were leaving without reaching any conclusions.

Honestly, this was quite unusual for the Inquisitors. With great fanfare, they dispatched an entire fleet of black ships, hundreds of Inquisitors of all ranks, tens of thousands of elite stormtroopers, and countless spies to investigate a particular faction, only to leave with nothing.

Even if they concluded that the Alliance had not committed treason, that

wouldn’t work. Would

n’t that be tantamount to endorsing the Alliance?

But concluding that they had committed treason?

That was even more unacceptable.

Not only would the entire team currently within the Alliance’s heartland be destroyed, and they wouldn’t be able to enforce their verdict. Furthermore, they didn’t even dare to pass judgment after leaving Alliance territory, as the changes on Holy Terra had frightened the Silver Inquisition.

They had shielded the Ironclad Chapter’s actions many times in the past, but that was because Holy Terra hadn’t yet reached a definitive conclusion on their actions. Now, were they truly bound to the Ironclad Chapter?

The Silver Inquisition hadn’t yet reached a final decision; fierce debate was still raging within their ranks, and even some purges had occurred. The Iron Armor faction was reluctant to give up the unfettered power afforded by the support of a powerful chapter in the Eastern Frontier of the Empire, along with the enormous benefits it provided. The Imperial faction, on the other hand, believed that following the Iron Armor would lead to a dark and deadly path.

Within these two major factions, there were still many disagreements.

The situation was chaotic.

However, the investigation into the Alliance could not proceed.

The Imperials objected, but the Ironclad faction also received information from the Ironclad that the Dragonhawk Sector, located two star regions south of the Princess Sector, was not the core location for the Ironclad’s next move.

The Silver Tribunal withdrew in disgrace.

Meanwhile, the Fury Flame Chapter was also to withdraw.

But before leaving, the Fury Flame Chapter made a request to the Alliance.

The one hundred-man Fury Flame Company, sent by Casimir Erso to deliver a mission to the Alliance several years ago, had been detained by the Alliance for a long time. The Alliance wanted these men returned.

Whether to return them or not was, of course, the decision of the Alliance. If the Alliance simply held them captive, what recourse would the Fury Flame Chapter have?

A war that couldn’t be fought right now couldn’t be fought over these one hundred Fury Flame prisoners.

However, the Alliance was still considering the matter carefully. Whether

the prisoners were returned or not, the Fury Flame Chapter had to withdraw. But the method of withdrawal might be different.

Would they obediently withdraw, handing over their currently occupied territories to the Dragon Eagle Star Region government, and then wait for Gu Hang, the clearly appointed Dragon Eagle leader, to take over? Or would

they engage in extensive plundering before departing? They would undoubtedly plunder. It was likely they would take the warships they controlled, transporting vast quantities of supplies, and withdraw with them.

The difference, however, lay in whether their plundering would be relatively benign or destructive.

The latter would be truly troublesome. They would leave a massive mess behind for the Alliance.

Of course, this would provoke massive resistance and tarnish the reputation of the Fury. However, having already withdrawn and confronted the Empire, they clearly didn’t care.

Even if they couldn’t ravage every territory they controlled, even just Yunluo Star would be deeply unpleasant. Before the war, Yunluo Star was a developed world with a production value comparable to that of Wing Star. At Level 4 development and a population of 12 billion, that translates to a production value of nearly 50 billion. In many areas controlled by the Alliance, entire sectors combined might only hold half that amount.

Furthermore, after the destruction, they wouldn’t just take the wealth; the Alliance would then have to rule these areas, requiring extensive pacification and reconstruction efforts.

In fact, upon learning of the political shifts on Holy Terra and anticipating the likely retreat of the Wrath, the Alliance government had already made contingency plans.

If the Wrath showed any signs of retreat, they would launch an all-out attack, seizing the opportunity to force the Wrath to retreat and ultimately drive them off.

Even if it meant sparking a degree of war between the two sides, they were willing to do so.

The Fury Legion’s negotiators had a subtle message: “Return the captives, and I’ll do less evil.”

The Alliance was actually willing to agree.

A hundred stripped Fury Legions, no matter how valuable, were less valuable to the Alliance than a single, intact world.

Even if the Fury Legions didn’t abide by their end of the bargain, they would still seize what needed to be looted and destroy what needed to be destroyed, but as much as possible was better.

However, just as they had agreed in principle to the exchange of captives, the Phoenix Legion had a new idea.

This idea still required Gu Hang’s approval.

Gu Hang, still on his way back, heard the report and request and sent back a signal:

“Agreed.

” …

Snow Eagle Sector, Upper Plateau.

This world, once the focal point of a crucial battle between humanity and the Iron-Tooth Ork, had been shattered by the war. Orbital bombardments and brutal ground combat had practically decimated the world.

Most of the former urban clusters on the surface lay in ruins. There may still be civilians who survived the war, but their numbers are unlikely to be large.

It will likely take a considerable amount of time for it to return to its former state—unless there’s external interference.

And today, this planet has once again become the focus of the entire star system.

The handover ceremony between the Fury and the Alliance regarding the Dragonhawk Sector will be held here.

The Fury will withdraw from the Dragonhawk Sector starting today, allowing the Alliance to smoothly take over.

Originally, the Alliance wanted to sign a detailed handover list with the Fury, outlining what the Fury can and cannot take, and the obligation to preserve what remains intact… However, the Fury refused.

To date, no definitive written document has been signed between the two sides. All agreements reached have been verbal, even tacitly agreed upon.

This is highly unreliable.

However, one thing is clear and certain: today, on Upper Plateau, the Alliance will hand over 100 previously captured Fury warriors.

The Phoenix will represent the Alliance and be solely responsible for the exchange ceremony.

The exchange takes place in a bloody duel to the death.

The rules are simple: Phoenix sends out one hundred warriors, challenged by the Fury Flame Warband, to face off in the arena.

A victory for Fury Flame rewards Fury Flame with a prisoner.

If Fury Flame can kill all one hundred Phoenixes, all one hundred prisoners will be released.

The arena has already been constructed—a large, flat surface. No restrictions apply to tactics or rules; any equipment a soldier can bring into the arena is permitted, but outside interference is prohibited.

Fair play is the key to skill. After a match, both sides may choose to switch players or not. The duel ends when Phoenix Flame loses one hundred matches. As for how many matches Fury Flame must fight to win all one hundred, it’s up to Fury Flame to determine the exact number.

If Fury Flame can defeat all one hundred Phoenixes without losing a single match, it’s like killing one hundred Phoenixes and getting his prisoners back for free. If he simply can’t defeat them all, then he’s on his own.

This was undoubtedly a major provocation, not just a duel between warriors, but a duel between Chapters.

There was no trace of friendship; even if a battle could not break out, two Chapters, steeped in vengeance, were determined to engage in a bloody battle.

Ships from both sides gathered in the outer orbit of Upper Plateau. The Alliance’s leader was naturally the “Fire Nova,” while on the other side, the Fury Chapter’s flagship, the battle barge “Fire Spirit,” also watched with eager anticipation.

Both sides’ ships were well above the planet’s orbit. The distrust between them was almost boiling over. Neither side was willing to leave the other’s ship in orbit, lest those descending to the surface be caught by an orbital cannon.

A cruiser-class warship of the Mechanicum, belonging to the Order of the Bright Sun, was also there, primarily to spectate and, in a sense, witness the action.

The scene, cleared early, revealed a vast, post-war wasteland of urban ruins. Large numbers of personnel from both sides had already landed, forming distinct divisions.

Most conspicuous within each group were two distinctly colored clusters of steel figures.

One wore red armor with white trim, while the other was primarily orange, with black shoulder pads and below the knees.

Each side numbered eight hundred. Not all warriors had been deployed, each holding back.

However, the most important figures in each Chapter, the Chapter Masters of both Chapters, were present.

Casimir Erso gazed ahead, gazing across at Martins, clad in Terminator power armor.

The moment Martins personally challenged him to a duel, he felt a surge of rage.

A newly revived Chapter dared to challenge them?

How presumptuous!

He also saw this as a perfect opportunity to quell the simmering anger within the Chapter.

Just as he had felt resentful upon hearing Humphrey Paul’s call for a retreat, his warriors shared similar sentiments.

How could the proud Space Marines tolerate surrendering without firing a single shot?

While retreat wasn’t an admission of defeat, but rather a strategic shift, the often impulsive warriors of the Fury still found it humiliating.

They didn’t want to do this, but were forced to do so by orders.

And now, the Phoenix’s proposal was just what they wanted!

They hadn’t wanted to retreat in the first place, yet you had come to us seeking death!

Add to that the previous theft of the head of the Ork Warchief Titus and a century-old feud… the entire Chapter couldn’t refuse the Phoenix’s challenge.

Otherwise, the entire Chapter would be humiliated!

Even if Casimir Erso was Chapter Master, he couldn’t go against the wishes of countless others and refuse this duel on the Chapter’s honor. It would destroy his prestige, and countless Battle-Brothers would question his worthy leadership.

Furthermore, he had no intention of refusing!

Even if he’d heard that the Phoenix Regiment’s new recruits were quite capable after their resurgence and couldn’t be considered rookies, so what? Were all the Fury Flames made up of rookies? Their service and combat experience far surpassed those of the Phoenix Regiments

, and if Fury Flames were afraid to duel them, that would be a disaster! Even if these Phoenixes were truly formidable, and killing all a hundred of them would cost him a hundred, or even two hundred, then this duel would still have to happen!

Especially since the enemy had chosen their home turf. The entire Snow Eagle Sector had previously been under the control of the Fury Flame Legion. Under these circumstances, the Fury Flame was unlikely to retreat.

————

5k

thanks to [Mountain Axe] for his fifth leader tip!

So touched!

I owe another +20k… Counting the 1k I paid back today, I still owe 125k…

If you keep tipping, I’m afraid I’ll have to pay it back in my next life (the next chapter)…

(End of this chapter)