With the army's reorganization, the Expeditionary Force's situation could be described as thriving.
The Holy War Army, which was originally just a large number of troops, received enough training—not to say sufficient, but at least enough to bring them up to the standard of a general Planetary Defense Force. On the battlefield, they were no longer just cannon fodder who only knew how to charge fanatically, but qualified line fillers who could play a certain role.
Their training gradually transformed from disorderly charges to organized tactical advances, and they learned how to protect themselves under suppressive fire.
Although their equipment and quality still couldn't compare to elite units, at least they were no longer a burden on the battlefield, but an existence capable of contributing to the overall war effort.
As for the Astra Militarum, after several months of emergency training, they had become familiar with how to fight alongside Imperial Knights.
At least now, they had learned how to use Imperial Knights as effective cover to withstand various attacks, while also coordinating with the Imperial Knights to eliminate targets that were inconvenient for the Knights to deal with.
The soldiers of the Astra Militarum gradually mastered the rhythm of coordinating with the Knights, knowing when to hide behind shields and wait for an opportunity, and when to actively attack to clear threats on the Knights' flanks.
This tacit cooperation significantly improved their combat efficiency.
Overall, the goals Alex originally hoped to achieve through troop reorganization have now basically been realized, and the Expeditionary Force's combat effectiveness has improved significantly compared to when they first arrived.
During this period, a Space Marine Chapter also responded to the call for the expedition; they were the Heavenly Lion Battle Group, a successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists.
Alex's expression was the most peculiar regarding the arrival of this Chapter.
For no other reason than that the Heavenly Lion Battle Group was as infamous as the Weeping Angels for their bad luck. Because they offended the Inquisition, even their Chapter Master was assassinated by agents sent by the Inquisition.
Moreover, in the future Third Armageddon War, the Heavenly Lion Battle Group was manipulated by the Inquisition, not only resulting in almost all of their members being killed, but even their Apothecary was shot and killed by assassins arranged by the Inquisition, leading to the failure to recover a large amount of precious Gene-Seed.
This war became a nightmare for the Heavenly Lion Battle Group. They originally thought they were fighting for the Imperium, but they never expected that behind it was a conspiracy of the Inquisition.
The warriors of the Chapter fought bravely on the front lines, unaware that they had already been abandoned.
The death of the Apothecary cast a shadow over the Chapter's future, and the loss of the Gene-Seed meant that the Chapter's reconstruction would become extremely difficult.
So much so that at that time, the last ninety-five warriors of the Heavenly Lion Battle Group were prepared to launch a desperate charge and die for their country.
If not for the Black Templars lending them a hand, this Chapter might have been completely annihilated.
Furthermore, when Roboute Guilliman later distributed Primaris throughout the galaxy, the Heavenly Lion Battle Group was deliberately kept in the dark by the Inquisition, almost missing out on the Primaris initiative.
The emergence of Primaris Space Marines should have been a major reform for the Imperium, but for the Heavenly Lion Battle Group, it became yet another proof of their isolation.
The Inquisition's blockade almost completely isolated the Heavenly Lion Battle Group from the outside world; they didn't even know what kind of changes the Imperium was undergoing.
It was precisely because of this that when this Chapter arrived, Inquisitor Wien approached Alex and explained the situation to him.
"Your Excellency Alex, although I do not expect you to do anything to this Chapter, please do not interfere in some matters. This concerns the face of the Inquisition." Inquisitor Wien's attitude was very polite and sincere, almost directly implying that the targeting of the Heavenly Lion was a big deal for the Inquisition.
His tone carried a veiled warning, as if reminding Alex that the will of the Inquisition was not to be challenged.
However, his wording was extremely cautious, clearly not wanting to directly conflict with Alex.
But Alex had no reaction to this matter. He merely thought for a moment before retorting: "If I wish to offer them protection and recruit this Chapter for my own use, what price do I need to pay to ensure that the Inquisition Headquarters no longer suppresses this Chapter?"
His question was direct, without any circumlocution, as if probing the Inquisition's bottom line.
"This question… are you sure you want to protect them?" Inquisitor Wien was not surprised by why Alex would ask this question. Every Inquisitor has their own little secrets, and it was not strange for Alex to want to control a Space Marine Chapter.
After all, no one knows how long the upcoming expedition will last, and having a Chapter in hand is always a trump card.
Inquisitor Wien did not directly answer Alex's question, but looked at him with a meaningful gaze, as if waiting for Alex to name his price.
He knew that Alex would not make such a request for no reason, and the Inquisition would not easily give up its suppression of the Heavenly Lion Battle Group.
"The Ashen Knights Chapter, which has a very good relationship with me, is also a successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists, and Master Gutierrez of the Deathwatch is also from the Imperial Fists. They are both Dorn's Sons, so it's difficult for me to stand by and do nothing." Alex merely showed Inquisitor Wien a helpless expression, as if he were being forced to do so.
His tone carried a hint of helplessness, as if he were compelled by circumstances and had no choice but to speak up for the Heavenly Lion Battle Group.
This posture appeared both reasonable and cleverly concealed his true intentions.
And his explanation also led Inquisitor Wien to mistakenly believe that Alex was proactively offering to protect the Heavenly Lion Battle Group to avoid any emotional issues among the Astartes in the current Expeditionary Force.
After all, the existence of the Ashen Knights Chapter and Master Gutierrez made Alex's relationship with the Imperial Fists lineage particularly close.
If he ignored the plight of the Heavenly Lion Battle Group, it could indeed cause dissatisfaction among other Dorn's Sons.
So Inquisitor Wien thought for a moment and said: "This matter is neither big nor small. Ultimately, it's because they offended the authority of the Inquisition. If you are truly willing to protect them, the matter is actually very easy to resolve.
Concede some benefits, then have the Heavenly Lion Battle Group proactively apologize to the Inquisition, and perform a few dirty jobs for the Inquisition, and that should be enough.
The reason for constantly targeting them is merely to set an example. The Inquisition just wants these so-called demigods to know the price of offending the Inquisition."
His tone carried a condescending disdain, as if the fate of the Heavenly Lion Battle Group was merely a tool for the Inquisition to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys.
"That's all? Then I will have someone talk to the Heavenly Lion Battle Group shortly. I think they should listen to reason." Alex felt that perhaps he could indeed help these unfortunate fellows.
His tone carried a hint of ease, as if the matter was not as complicated as he had imagined.
"Dorn's Sons are famously stubborn. Can you really convince them?" Inquisitor Wien expressed his concern at the appropriate moment.
His tone carried a hint of mockery, clearly having heard of the Heavenly Lion Battle Group's stubbornness.
"I'll have to try to find out." Alex shrugged, indicating that he still wanted to try to make the stubborn stone nod.
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