The Fist of Iron.
As the training chamber of the Iron Hands, this place maintained Ferris's consistent rationalist style.
Whether it was the giant cogitator array that occupied the entire wall, used to calculate various training values; or the cold, grey facilities that had no life in them.
Compared to Fulgrim's perfect creations, it looked so stiff and crude.
Everything was cold and simple.
But as one of the most renowned blacksmiths in the Imperium of Man, if one were to truly think that the creations on her flagship were crude and clumsy, that would be truly short-sighted.
With her powerful iron hands, she had forged countless divine weapons. Some of them were even hanging at the waists of the Primarchs now.
"This is my private training chamber. No one will come to disturb us."
It was now her private rest time. The heavy, personal giant armor had also been taken off by her and placed to the side. What she was wearing now was a simple, black garment.
She stood leisurely in front of some kind of strength-training pulling facility, slowly and unhurriedly pulling the machine in her hands.
With every exertion, the form-fitting black garment outlined the firm and elastic lines of her muscles.
Like the roar of a black steel dragon. Although it looked like Ferris was lifting weights with ease, judging by the sound that the machine made every time it recoiled, this thing was by no means easy. Of course, that was relative to the Space Marines.
"You might not know the news yet. This matter has also been blocked."
Ferris pulled back and forth with her liquid-like iron hands, without turning her head to look at Kasjia beside her, who didn't know what to do.
"It doesn't matter if I tell you. After all, you are the only one who can be invited to the Emperor's banquet as a Space Marine."
As she spoke, her expression was a little strange.
After all, according to the Emperor, Kasjia was a member of the Primarchs' "family" who had attended the banquet.
Even she didn't know why the usually taciturn, silent Emperor would value Kasjia so much.
But since it was so, then so be it.
"The master of the Second Legion, that is, our Warmaster."
"He has betrayed us."
BANG!
With a muffled, huge sound, the steel stamping device used for training let out a roar.
Kasjia nodded.
"You don't seem to be surprised?"
Ferris did not get the surprise from Kasjia that she had expected.
This surprised Ferris a little.
Uh... how should he put it?
He scratched his head a little awkwardly.
But it seemed that anyone who became a Warmaster was bound to backstab the Emperor.
This had already become the underlying logic in Warhammer, a sufficient but not necessary condition.
"I can't reveal too many details to you."
"In short, from now on, don't mention the master of the Second Legion to anyone. In the Imperium of Man, there has never been a Second Legion."
"Do you understand?"
Kasjia nodded repeatedly.
Compared to the terrifying Emperor, the little secrets kept by the terrifying inner circle were really nothing.
Whether it was the means or the effect, the First Legion could not pull off a stunt like the "Month of Shame."
And this was when the Emperor was not around.
"Alright. Now you know why I was looking for you?"
Clearly, it was not just to inform him.
"A vacancy."
"The position of Warmaster is now vacant."
As the Great Crusade pushed further beyond the galaxy, more and more Primarchs had gradually returned to the embrace of the Imperium.
And after the betrayal of the Second Legion, the choice of a new Warmaster had thus become a hot topic.
Who could take on this important responsibility after the departure of the master of the Second Legion?
"Horus."
Ferris reluctantly said her brother's name first.
Although she was unwilling to admit it, Horus had done much better than her, Ferris, in many aspects.
Whether it was the merits of the crusade or his prestige among the Primarchs, Horus seemed to be the best choice after the departure of the master of the Second Legion.
But that did not mean that Ferris had no chance.
As the owner of the invincible war machine that was the Iron Hands, the worlds Ferris had conquered in the Great Crusade were no less than Horus's.
All the enemies of mankind who dared to provoke her would suffer the cold wrath of her merciless iron hands.
But it seemed that war alone could not win everyone's support.
Because the outcome of every war was to raze the enemy to the ground, in the War Council on Terra, she was often criticized by others for this.
"This war in the Gardiner system, I hope to be able to reclaim this planet by relatively peaceful means."
The Iron Hands lacked mercy.
This was a point for which Ferris was widely criticized.
A merciful person is not suitable for the army, but a person with no mercy at all can definitely not be a Warmaster.
Especially compared to the friendly Emperor's Children and Salamanders, the problem of her coldness was even more prominent.
But from now on, Ferris Manus, the Iron Mother, would shatter this prejudice.
This battle of Gardiner would be the best demonstration.
The Gardiner system preserved an almost complete industrialized infrastructure from the Age of Strife.
Including the STC technology templates that any Mechanicum Magos would drool over (if their salivary glands had not yet been removed), as well as biological and mechanical modification technology.
Under such a powerful industrialized facility, the population of the entire system was in the hundreds of billions, most of whom were concentrated on the main planet.
The other planets in the system also stored a large amount of minerals that the Imperium urgently needed at present.
Infrastructure, technology, minerals, population.
All were resources urgently needed by the Great Crusade at present.
She would offer them as a gift to prove that she was worthy of the responsibility of Warmaster.
The Crown of the Sector.
This was what others called the Gardiner system.
And since they could exist for several millennia with such vast resources, their military strength was naturally not to be underestimated.
A highly industrialized infrastructure had brought them an almost endless supply of weapons and equipment.
Although they might not be able to compete with the powerful Imperium of Man in void naval warfare, in the ground battles on the main planet, Gardiner was enough to make them unable to advance a single step.
And even in terms of psionics, the Gardiner Empire had also dabbled.
The consequence of underestimating them was, like the Ultramarines Chapter Master Cicero, easily losing five hundred thousand Imperial Army and half a Titan Legion.
And even with the Iron Hands Primarch herself, if it weren't for the Second Company Captain of the Emperor's Children, Arcur Tona, intervening and destroying the enemy's orbital system at the cost of her own life... ...the dark technology from Gardiner would probably have been enough to keep the Primarch herself on that battlefield forever.
"For the first time, I will try to solve the problem with some more gentle means, like the Emperor's Children and Fulgrim."
"I hope you can assist me. Within two weeks, before my self-proclaimed brother Guilliman arrives, we will take the Gardiner system."
Of course, this was not the first time she had learned from the Emperor's Children.
Ferris had also consulted with the Second Company Captain of the Emperor's Children before.
Arcur Tona.
And had taken a bite of her cooking.
Ferris's expression was a little strange.
That thing had left a deep impression on her.
Even she, who was known for her resilience, had not been able to finish it.
"Our conversation is over. You may leave."
Ferris's words were always concise and to the point.
"My subordinates have already arranged a meeting between the First Company of the Iron Hands and you."
"I look forward to your performance in the Iron Hands. Especially when I spent a great deal to get you from Fulgrim."
"Yes. Lady Ferris."
Kasjia walked on the simple, silver-black deck of the Fist of Iron.
There was still a short voyage before they reached Gardiner.
He lightly knocked on a heavy iron door and saw over a hundred Iron Hands Space Marines waiting in the empty hall.
Of course, on the other side were the warriors from the Sixth Company of the Emperor's Children and the part of the Second Company led by Arcur.
Purple-and-gold and silver-and-black, the two sides were clearly distinguished.
Standing at the head of the Emperor's Children was naturally Kasjia's sword master, Arcur Tona.
"A pleasure to meet you."
As for the Space Marine standing at the head of the Iron Hands, he saluted Kasjia and introduced himself.
"First Company Captain of the Iron Hands, Gabriel Santar."
"Welcome, First Captain Santar."
"Then let's get straight to business—what are your operational plans?"
The operations of the Iron Hands were generally very simple.
First, an artillery barrage.
But since there were still a large number of Ultramarines remnants on the surface waiting for them to be rescued, therefore— ...the artillery barrage would have to be even bigger.
Defeated remnants like them had no value in living.
The excessive artillery fire would not only blast them to bits, but their deaths would also serve as a warning to everyone of the price of failure.
The Iron Hands do not allow failure.
"Wait."
Kasjia took a deep breath.
He felt a little bit of the Iron Hands' shock for the first time.
"That is not our objective."
"In my private conversation with Lady Ferris, she hopes that I can correct the many problems that currently exist in the Iron Hands."
"She hopes that the Iron Hands, while ruthlessly annihilating the enemy, can also have a merciful side."
"This is also her expectation for you."
Kasjia looked at everyone with a heavy heart.
Mercy.
Do you understand? Mercy!
The Iron Hands looked at each other.
"Then..." First Captain Santar said tentatively, "everything remains the same, but we will hold a funeral for them after the battle to commemorate their great contribution to the Imperium?"
Although he still had a great deal of disgust for the losers, Santar still showed the "mercy" of the Iron Hands to the Ultramarines.
Kasjia: "..."
Is this the most merciful act that the iron heads of the Iron Hands can come up with?
He was beginning to get a headache.
"I understand!"
"You mean to say, to use those defeated remnants as bait to lure out more Gardinerians."
"Let their lives contribute their value to the Imperium one last time!"
(Using friendly forces as cannon fodder, not only Horus has done it, Big Sister Fei has also done it.) (Often.)
The Iron Hands, after hearing First Captain Santar's statement, nodded frequently. As expected of First Captain Gabriel Santar!
He could immediately understand what the Lord Commander of the Emperor's Children was thinking.
In this way, it not only showed the mercy of the Iron Hands, but also could better strike the enemy forces, killing two birds with one stone.
Kasjia was silent.
He now wanted to turn into the black uncle Vulkan and hit their heads hard with a big iron hammer.
To see if it would really make a metallic echo.
"Is there a possibility... I mean, a possibility."
"That once we reach the low orbit of the main planet, we use artillery fire to control air superiority, and then deploy a part of the landing force from the ships to the surface."
"While rescuing the remaining Ultramarines on the surface, we complete the construction of the landing site fortifications."
Do you guys not have the option of rescuing friendly forces in your heads!?
And after he had thrown out these words, the Iron Hands fell into a rare silence.
"Commander, with all due respect, your tactic is not rational."
"Perhaps we can save the lives of some Ultramarines and Imperial Army, but we will also lose more resources for it. It is not cost-effective."
The matter of human life is not about being cost-effective.
This statement was indeed very correct, but it was often not applicable in war.
Especially in the wars of the Iron Hands.
"Perhaps it is not cost-effective in the short term, but my dear Iron Hands, please listen to me—"
"Saving the Ultramarines Chapter Master Cicero may cost more resources, but for the Primarch Guilliman, this will be a favor that is difficult to shake off."
A favor?
A word that was somewhat unfamiliar to the Iron Hands.
Hearing this, the crowd looked at each other.
"In the future, we will have more cooperation with the Ultramarines, and this investment in friendship may... may bear rich fruit!"
Indeed.
Although the expected return on investment was very low, this was, after all, a long-term investment.
Seeing that the Iron Hands had gradually accepted his statement, Kasjia breathed a sigh of relief.
It wasn't that hard after all!
The Iron Hands were a group of extreme rationalists.
As long as he could speak to their interests, they were still willing to carry out his plan.
He was beginning to get the hang of it.
"At the same time, if you encounter other Gardinerian civilians or civilian residences during the campaign, I hope you can minimize the bombardment on them."
"Every citizen of the Imperium can become a cornerstone of the Imperium with their own strength. Even the elderly, their children have the potential to become Space Marines and fight alongside you."
It couldn't be helped.
When you meet a stubborn guy like the Iron Hands, you have to go along with their ideas and correct their thinking bit by bit.
"I'm sorry, Commander. I don't quite agree with your statement."
"According to the current statistical results, the average value of the Imperial population that can become a Space Marine, the probability of a civilian or their child having the talent of a Space Marine is extremely small and can be almost ignored."
"They will most likely only be able to serve the Imperium as laborers for the rest of their lives, and the value they can produce in their lifetime is insignificant compared to the expected losses of a merciful operation."
"Even if they are qualified to become a Space Marine, a suitable candidate is only a small part of the cost of cultivating a Space Marine. More costs come from the gene-seed, weapons and equipment, and training."
"Once the bombardment misses the Gardinerian street fighting units, it will cause huge expected losses to our army, which cannot be compensated for by being lenient with the civilians."
"Therefore, according to our final calculation results, the conclusion is—the death of civilians is not worth us reducing the bombardment."
Clap, clap, clap.
The Iron Hands all applauded the First Captain's logical and wise statement.
Kasjia looked at the Second Company Captain Arcur at the side in despair.
And the other was also looking at him with pity.
First time?
First time.
Kasjia fell into a deep self-doubt.
He felt that sometimes, Ferris's bad temper was really not her problem.
The Ultramarines had the Chapter organization before the Codex."This is a catastrophe, Chapter Master (referring to Cicero), and you dare to desecrate the dead with these excuses in front of a Primarch." — Ferrus Manus: The Gorgon of Medusa
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