Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 986

Chapter 977: Gu Hang’s opinion must be respected

The Sisters of Silence and the Spellbreakers, escorted by the Imperial Guard, suddenly advanced very close to Magnus, bringing a crucial change to the battle.

Although Gu Jing, due to the influence of the Sisters of Silence and the Spellbreakers, was unable to project his psychic energy easily, this gave Robert an opportunity.

With a swift blow, the Emperor’s Sword severed one of Magnus’s arms; another strike followed, aiming straight for his head.

Had it not been for the shattering of two of his nine golden horns, releasing a powerful burst of psychic energy that deflected the Emperor’s Sword, his head would have been severed!

This, however, brought Magnus to his senses.

He knew that if the current situation continued, he might truly meet his end at the hands of the Emperor’s Sword.

And death at the hands of the Emperor’s Sword would be a different fate from his previous expulsion from the real universe.

The ‘divine evil’ would also be slain.

Magnus, forced to admit defeat, could only ‘leave’ before all the Warp rifts were completely closed.

No matter how vicious the curses he left behind before his escape, they couldn’t mask the ignominious nature of his escape.

…

With Magnus’s escape, the Warp rifts closed one by one, and the demons on the moon naturally became rootless. Even without needing to be killed, they rapidly weakened, eventually becoming a pile of ash and dissipating.

The remaining cultists, however, required a little more effort to deal with, but they were no longer a major concern and could be handled by ordinary troops.

As things stood, the moon could be considered essentially pacified.

The naval fleet in lunar orbit was only a small part of the Solar Fleet. The main force of the Solar Fleet was still in orbit around Holy Terra—quite close to the moon’s orbit—and had chosen to remain neutral.

But at the very least, the surrender of this fleet was a good omen.

Not only would this be a valuable addition to Robert’s fleet, it would also provide a pretext for leveraging their connections to connect with the other admirals of the Solar Fleet. If another meeting, similar to the previous one, could be held, perhaps even more Solar Fleet admirals would be captivated by the regent’s imposing presence.

Meanwhile, the Moon Guards had largely sided with Robert. They had no other choice, and with the Moon completely under their control, their importance had, to be honest, greatly diminished. After all, their weaponry and training were specialized for lunar defense. Their sheer strength and numbers were insufficient, making them conservative rather than aggressive. If a war were to truly commence against Holy Terra, their potential assistance would be limited.

To retake Holy Terra, Robert would have to rely primarily on his own strength.

Of course, another key factor was Holy Terra’s existing military strength, with

the Custodians being a prime example. The sudden arrival of the Custodes during the battle against Magnus was a clear statement—these men, ensconced within the Imperial Palace for ten thousand years, seemed to be breaking their traditional neutrality and deciding their fate.

This wasn’t surprising.

While for most of the Imperium, the Custodes’ abstention from politics seemed like an ironclad rule, this wasn’t the case for Robert. In his early years, the Custodes accompanied the Emperor on numerous campaigns, fully participating in the founding crusade.

Even after the Emperor’s ascension, the Custodes played a significant role in combating numerous Imperial traitors.

Even during Robert’s time as Regent after the Imperial Civil War, he maintained a close relationship with the Grand Marshal of the Custodes, making them a crucial force under his command.

Robert didn’t consider the Custodes unacceptable.

Their proactive participation in the Lunar Campaign was a strong signal.

After the battle, these palace guards didn’t rush back to the Imperial Palace on Terra, but remained on the Moon. The tribune leading them also spoke with Robert. They would now follow Robert’s orders and conveyed the Grand Marshal’s greetings.

“The Grand Marshal looks forward to speaking with you.”

Holy Terra was shrouded in a chaotic Warp surge, making long-distance communication difficult and potentially subject to interference from other forces on Terra.

But the Custodians likely wouldn’t worry about that.

They had been stationed at the Imperial Palace for ten thousand years, and within the countless Custodian chambers beneath it, they had hidden countless hidden weapons. They would likely find a way to establish regular communication with Robert.

And not just with the Custodians; Robert planned to communicate with many other forces on Holy Terra.

The military operation on the Moon was a rehearsal for the operation on Terra. The situation on Terra was likely to be even more complex, with more conflicting forces. He would have to distinguish friend from foe and proceed with even greater caution.

If the Chaos forces could summon a former blood brother to oppose him on the Moon, who knew what they could accomplish on the even larger, and who knows how corrupted, Holy Terra?

However, before engaging in dialogue with any forces on Holy Terra, Robert knew one thing he had to do:

talk to Gu Hang.

At this moment, he realized more clearly than ever that to save the Empire, and even more so, Holy Terra, the force he needed most was the Alliance.

Without Gu Hang’s support, without the Alliance’s, his hopes of saving the Empire were futile.

In fact, without the Alliance’s help, he wouldn’t even be able to reach the Moon.

Even if he managed to reach it, Gu Jing’s presence had been crucial to victory in the previous lunar battle, and the Alliance’s Lawbreakers emerging from the miniature veiled spirit portals were equally crucial.

And if the attack on Holy Terra went awry—a very real possibility—the Alliance’s help would be his strongest support.

Without the Alliance, there was nothing.

He had already clearly understood this, but this time, he planned to have a thorough discussion with Gu Hang.

The topic of discussion was not only about the current battle, but also about how the imperial central government should exist after the war

.

Robert stared at the crimson-marked planetary image on the tactical holo-table. The silhouette of Holy Terra loomed distant and heavy in the void. The lunar command center was still filled with the metallic scent of disinfectant gel and plasma. Beyond the heavy soundproof door lay a battlefield where the moondust had yet to settle. Engineers and Skitarii raced against time to repair the demonically desecrated orbital defense array.

Gu Hang stood beside him—an illusion projected through a remote communication, yet it seemed incredibly real.

They were the only two left in the hall, the heavy alloy door blocking out the outside world’s mechanical hum and the communications officer’s muffled commands. The air was thick with the smoke of post-war battles and the weight of future decisions.

Robert was the first to break the silence, his gaze fixed on the planet that symbolized the heart of the Empire but could also be a festering sore. “The fetid abyss on the Moon is but a speck of foam rising from the swamps of Terra. The Solar Legion rebelled under the lash of Khorne, and we still don’t know how many naval units and the Ministry of Military Affairs have been corrupted by the Cult of Tzeentch. Even the starport guns can be trained on the loyalists… I have to admit that the little bit of luck I once had in my heart has been completely shattered.”

Gu Hang took a step closer and lightly tapped his fingertips on the star map, the void area between Terra and the Moon. “The fabric of space continues to tear. This is not a natural storm, Regent, this is a man-made blasphemous ritual that is penetrating into the bone marrow. The tentacles of Chaos are not only entangled in the filth of the lower hive cities, it has already strangled the throat of Terra’s administrative center.”

“Every chaotic report from Terra cuts into past glory. The Golden Knights are mired in a subterranean mire, unable to respond. Communications in the Astropathic Hall are swallowed by a kind of silence—no simple technical malfunction. The wave of riots erupting in the hive city clusters is coordinated and destructive, far surpassing simple riots driven by hunger or despair…”

“The orders come from the Four Gods, but the execution lies hidden in the deepest shadows.” Gu Hang’s voice was as steady as an ancient well. His judgment made Robert’s heart sink.

He knew of the Four Evil Gods, though they weren’t widely known during his glorious past. However, after his resurrection, from the numerous documents he had read, and from personally leading an expedition through a warp that was completely different from his memory, he had fully realized the terrifying nature of the Four Evil Gods.

The civil war he had experienced, which nearly destroyed the Imperium, was closely linked to the Four Evil Gods. All of his blood brothers had been transformed into abominations under the instigation of these four.

Now, the gazes of all four seemed focused on Holy Terra.

This seemed natural.

As evil gods, if they were to destroy humanity and unleash chaos once again upon the real universe, then the heart of the human empire, the dominant power in the universe, would be the most dazzling pearl in their eyes.

Their desire to obtain this pearl was perfectly natural.

It was hard to say to what extent the current unrest on Holy Terra stemmed from a struggle among these evil gods.

They not only sought to obtain this pearl, but to possess it exclusively.

Ever since the Cataclysm, when the Crimson Scar had torn the empire apart, the gazes of the four gods had likely been fixed upon them.

For over a hundred years, their worshippers had patiently advanced countless corrupt schemes within Holy Terra. Now, Robert and his expeditionary force had arrived in the solar system, a massive catalyst.

The evil gods’ worshippers must have realized that their time was running out. They could no longer remain patient, just as the Tzeentch Cult on the Moon had radically stolen the sacrificial rituals of the Khorne faithful, summoning the “god-evil” Magnus.

Even if they failed on the Moon this time, it was surely only the beginning. They would likely launch even more radical actions on Holy Terra.

“I need your support, Gu Hang.”

“Of course,” Gu Hang’s response was clear.

He turned, looked at Robert seriously, and offered his promise and assurance: “When the battle to reclaim Holy Terra begins, the Alliance will do its utmost to provide you with all the support you need.”

Robert was silent for a moment.

Even though Gu Hang had said the word “all,” he still needed further confirmation.

“Does that include you?”

Gu Hang’s answer once again reassured him: “Yes, I will be here when you need me.”

Robert breathed a sigh of relief.

Gu Hang himself was the ultimate guarantee.

After witnessing the current state of his blood brother, Magnus, he was less confident in the upcoming war.

The existence of an unrivaled, absolutely powerful individual would have a profound impact on the war.

It’s even possible that the future war might even draw the personal intervention of a certain evil god!

Of course, it’s just a possibility.

After all, if an evil god were to intervene personally, the conditions would likely be extremely harsh and the difficulty would be immense.

If they could so easily manifest themselves, how could the real universe even exist as it does today?

But Gu Hang’s presence at least provides a backup in the event of a desperate situation.

Of course, there’s another backup, needless to say.

It’s hard to count on them, after all, since they can’t even contact each other.

As for the specific war strategy ahead, the two men didn’t discuss it in detail.

Naturally, both sides’ staffs would discuss this matter in detail later.

At this point, their conversation began to delve deeper:

“After victory, what should the state of the imperial central government be?”

Robert had raised this question.

Of course, Robert had his own thoughts on the matter.

After he woke up and embarked on the expedition to Holy Terra, he had thought deeply about this issue countless times.

But at this moment, he needed to listen carefully to Gu Hang’s thoughts.

Gu Hang met Robert’s sharp, scrutinizing gaze without any retreat.

Since you want to listen, then tell me.

“The anchor of the imperial theocracy cannot be moved. As the regent, you are the only spiritual beacon with legal effect in this broken galaxy. But the operation of a huge empire requires precise and efficient machinery. The old Lords’ Council and those oligarchs who have hollowed out the body of the empire must be eradicated! The core of the new imperial government must be based on absolute responsibility and ability.”

“And the alliance government that I lead is more suitable to assume this responsibility than any other group at present.”

(End of this chapter)