Julius will help this world.
The silence that fell over Veridian was at first incredulous, then gradually filled with the sound of survivors. The last Ork growls were stifled by the hoarse victory cries of Veridian's soldiers and the Terran Marines. The Waaagh! was broken. Without their leader and faced with organized, fierce resistance, the remaining Orks disintegrated into disorganized bands, easily hunted down and eliminated.
Julius descended from the tower, his blue armor covered in the soot and blood of his solitary victory. He was greeted by Colonel Strom and his men, their looks mixing respect, awe, and raw gratitude.
"Commander..." began Strom, his voice choked with emotion. "The planet... you gave it back to us."
"We gave it back," Julius corrected, removing his helmet. His face was tired, but his eyes shone with a contained triumph. "Your men fought with a courage your former governor did not deserve."
The days that followed were not days of celebration, but of urgent reconstruction. The Conqueror's Star became a floating command center, coordinating the efforts. The Terran SCVs, far more efficient than Veridian's machines, were deployed to clear rubble, secure structures, and build temporary shelters. The Terran Medics worked side-by-side with local doctors, treating the wounded and fighting diseases.
Julius did not just offer aid. He invested. Prefab light factory units were established to rehouse the homeless. Water purifiers and power generators were installed to restore essential services. Agronomic data was shared to restart agriculture.
But the most significant aid was military. Veridian's arsenals were empty, its militia decimated.
"Colonel Strom," Julius announced during a meeting in the cleared ruins of the former governor's palace. "Your world needs a defense capable of withstanding the next threat. I will leave a garrison behind. A battalion of Marines, a company of Goliaths, and a squadron of Vultures. They will train your new recruits and help you build modern planetary defenses."
Strom, sitting across from him, could not hide his astonishment. "Commander... that's... more than we could ever have hoped for."
"Humanity must remain united to survive," said Julius. "Veridian is now a link in that chain. You will owe us resources, yes. Minerals, food. But you keep your sovereignty. You have a seat on the council of what will become, I hope, a new human alliance."
It was a deal. But it was a fair deal. Protection and technology in exchange for resources and loyalty. Veridian would not be an enslaved colony, but a fortified and grateful partner world.
As the Conqueror's Star prepared to depart, leaving behind a protective force and a world in convalescence but full of hope, Julius took one last look at Veridian from space. The scars of battle were still visible, but the lights of the cities were beginning to shine again, more numerous and more determined than ever.
Humanity had won here. Not the Imperium, with its distant crusade. But a more immediate, more pragmatic humanity. That of Julius Braveheart. He had saved a world, gained an ally, and sent a message to the galaxy: a new power was born, and it would not abandon its own.