"I don't know how you got your information, but you'd better not be lying to me."
Dominic's hand finally stopped polishing the bison horn. He looked up, his red eyes showing none of the apprehension Raynor had expected in the face of an Ork crisis. Instead, there was a spark of excitement, like a hunter who had just discovered the perfect prey. It was as if the impending invasion of hundreds of millions of Orks wasn't a threat, but a long-awaited sporting event.
Raynor opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. The entire speech he had prepared—detailing the defensive difficulties of Brevis and pleading for Imperial fleet support—remained stuck in his throat. Looking at the man's current state, Dominic seemed positively desperate for a fight. Fearing that any wrong word might interfere with the man's decision, Raynor decided to remain silent.
Ultimately, Raynor simply nodded and said gravely, "The intelligence is absolutely solid. Ragnar's main fleet set sail three days ago. Based on standard warp transit speeds, they will arrive in orbit around Karl-2 in four days."
"I see." Dominic returned to fiddling with the horn, offering no further words.
The dismissal was clear. Raynor didn't linger; he turned and walked out the door. Stepping out of the VIP guest house, the freezing wind carrying the scent of starport engine oil hit him, finally bringing him back to his senses. He boarded his personal transport and leaned back in the seat, his brow deeply furrowed.
Dominic's attitude was too strange. So strange that it left Raynor feeling unsettled. What exactly was the man planning? Was he truly just someone who lived for the thrill of battle?
The transport flew through the chaotic blizzard toward the Governor's Palace. The Hive below remained as noisy as ever, but Raynor's mind was a tangled mess. He had to make a decision quickly; the fate of Karl-2 depended on it.
Back at the palace, Raynor didn't pause for a second, rushing straight into his office. The room was brightly lit, with a massive star map suspended in the air, densely marked with troop deployments and trade routes across the Calixis Sector.
The pink Ripper that was Sarah's physical avatar lay at the edge of the map, boredly batting at the light point representing Karl-2 with its small claws. Seeing Raynor enter, it immediately leaped up and into his arms.
"Raynor, you're back! What did that Dominic guy say? Is he willing to help us fight the Orks?"
Holding the Ripper, Raynor walked to the star map and placed it on the desk. He lit a cigarette and took a long drag.
"I don't know," Raynor said, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "He didn't say anything specific, only told me not to lie to him."
"Huh?" The Ripper tilted its head in confusion. "What does that mean? Is he helping or not?"
"I don't know, and that's the most troublesome part." He walked to the map, his fingers tracing the distance between Karl-2 and Brevis.
"Right now, we have two choices," Raynor's voice grew heavy. "The first choice: don't fire a single shot and abandon Karl-2 immediately. Recall Guss and the expeditionary fleet. Just like before, we rely on orbital defenses and the Forbidden Wall to fight a war of attrition with the Orks."
"No!" the Ripper immediately protested. "Raynor worked so hard to take Karl-2. How can we just give it up?"
Sarah didn't care if Karl-2 was important to humanity; she only knew it was something Raynor had struggled to win.
"I know," Raynor sighed. "But it's the safest choice. If we abandon Karl-2, given the nature of Orks, if they don't get enough of a fight, they'll definitely keep pushing toward Brevis. By then, Dominic won't have the option to just watch from the sidelines even if he wanted to."
"But what if the Orks take Karl-2 and then just sit tight instead of attacking Brevis? Wouldn't we have lost Karl-2 for nothing?" the Ripper said stubbornly.
Raynor rubbed the Ripper's head appreciatively. That was exactly what he was worried about. While Dominic's fleet was powerful, he was here to collect taxes, not to fight Brevis's wars. Without a strong enough incentive, he could easily choose to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight.
"And the second choice?" Sarah asked.
"The second choice: hold Karl-2 to the death." Raynor tapped the icon for the expeditionary fleet currently guarding Karl-2. "Send all of Brevis's main fleet over there and fight a decisive battle against Ragnar's fleet."
"No!" This time, Raynor negated his own suggestion. "It's too risky. Our fleet just finished the battle for Karl-2; they haven't had enough time to refit or recover. Ragnar's fleet is at least five times our size. In a head-on clash, our fleet would likely be wiped out. And what if Dominic still refuses to act?"
Raynor's eyes were full of worry. "If he just sits there with his fleet watching the show, he'll wait until we and the Orks have bled each other dry, then step in to pick the spoils. By then, Brevis—having lost its fleet—would be finished."
Both choices had fatal flaws. As long as Dominic chose to "watch the show," and as long as Raynor couldn't openly use the full power of the Swarm, they could only watch Brevis slide toward ruin.
Raynor irritably crushed out his cigarette and lit another. The ashtray was already piled high with butts. This level of passivity was a feeling Raynor despised. The initiative was entirely in Dominic's hands. And he could only gamble. Gamble that Dominic really was a warmonger who ignored responsibility and profit in favor of a scrap.
Just as Raynor was at his wit's end, his private encrypted communicator rang. This device was reserved specifically for contact with Inquisitor Solene. Raynor's heart skipped a beat as he quickly pressed the accept button.
"Hello, Solene, what happened?"
"Dominic is gone," Solene's cold voice came through the vox, tinged with a hint of surprise.
"Gone?" Raynor was stunned. "Where to?"
"Most likely Karl-2," Solene's voice regained its composure. "Exactly one hour after you left the guest house, he set out with every ship that had less than thirty percent hull damage. Of the entire Tithe fleet, he only left behind the Black Ship, four frigates, and one cruiser at the starport to continue repairs. The Gemstone went with them."
"What?" Raynor crushed his cigarette out against the desk with a sharp hiss. "What did you say? He took the main fleet to Karl-2?"
"Yes," Solene confirmed. "I am currently on the Gemstone following them. They are moving at standard speed, and I'm judging their destination based on the flight path."
Raynor was dazed. He was still agonizing over what to do, yet Dominic had already moved. Without any conditions, without any demands, he had taken his main fleet and proactively headed for Karl-2. Having been immersed in the schemes and intrigues of officialdom since crossing over, this was something Raynor had completely failed to anticipate.
After a full thirty seconds, Raynor finally snapped out of it. He couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Hahaha!"
"Raynor? What's wrong?" Sarah looked at him worriedly. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I just didn't expect this result." Raynor's voice was full of relief.
Is the guy a secret Khorne worshipper? Raynor thought to himself. Then he shook his head. After all, among those who worshipped the Emperor, there were plenty of "hyper-aggressive" lunatics.
With the major variables accounted for, Raynor no longer had any lingering concerns.
"Sarah, contact Guss on Karl-2 immediately."
"Tell him Ragnar's main fleet is approaching and is expected to arrive in four days. Order him to hold Karl-2 at all costs," Raynor decided instantly.
The Ripper nodded, closing its eyes to relay the message to Guss through its remote consciousness. A few seconds later, it opened its eyes and looked at Raynor. "Contact established. Guss says he has received the news. He said that regardless of what the Governor requires—whether it's a tactical retreat, holding the position to the last man, or proactively intercepting the Ork fleet—he will obey without question."
Raynor nodded. Guss had not disappointed him.
"Tell Guss there's no need to retreat or launch a preemptive strike. He only needs to hold for three days. After three days, reinforcements will arrive."
"Understood!" The Ripper closed its eyes again to transmit the order. Soon, it shared Guss's response: "Guss says he understands. He will guard Karl-2 with his life and will not take a single step back."
"Very good," Raynor said with a satisfied nod.
"Raynor, are we heading over there as well?"
Raynor thought for a moment. "We should. There are too many traces of the Swarm on Karl-2, and the lower-level fleet commanders are all Genestealers. If something goes wrong and I'm not there, it'll be too late to fix it."
"Are we leaving now?"
"Of course." Raynor stood up and straightened his uniform. "How can the Governor of Brevis be absent from such a grand spectacle? Order the Second Expeditionary Fleet to prepare for battle immediately. All personnel to their stations. Replenish ammunition and fuel. We depart for Karl-2 in one hour."
"Yes!" the Ripper replied, relaying the command to the fleet commanders through the Hive Mind.
The Second Purging Expeditionary Fleet was a force Raynor had assembled from the other nobles and the Mechanicus after winning the bet for Karl-2. Though the scale was less than half that of the fleet currently stationed at Karl-2, it included a Lunar-class cruiser, which was respectable enough.
"Wait," Raynor added as an afterthought. "Notify all ships: we are to use conventional thrusters for the entire journey. Do not activate Warp engines."
"Eh? Why?" the Ripper asked, confused.
"We absolutely cannot use Warp travel," Raynor's tone was serious. "The Warp across the entire Segmentum Obscurus is currently extremely turbulent. If we use Warp travel and arrive at Karl-2 before Dominic, what do you think they will think?"
The Ripper nodded in sudden realization. As it stood, even the lavishly equipped Tithe fleet had been lost in the Warp for half a year. Now, they only dared to use real-space travel to reach Karl-2. If Raynor performed a "zero-error speedrun" through the Warp right in front of Dominic, arriving at Karl-2 in just six hours to become the fastest legend of Brevis, one could only guess how Dominic would react.
The Tithe fleet would likely turn their macro-cannons toward Raynor instead of the Orks.
"I understand. I'll notify them now: no Warp engines."
"Good work, dear." Raynor gave the Ripper an appreciative pat. He walked to the window and gazed at the stars. He felt a strange sense of relief; this crisis seemed to have been resolved with surprising ease.
One hour later, at the Brevis starport.
A Turbulent-class frigate bearing the crest of the Governor of Brevis pulled away from the dock. Following behind it were twelve Sword-class frigates, one Lunar-class cruiser, and several civilian-grade transport ships.
Raynor stood on the bridge of the frigate Lightning, watching the planet Brevis grow smaller in the viewport.
"Course set. Destination: Karl-2. Conventional navigation. Speed: eighty percent," the adjutant reported loudly.
"Engage," Raynor said calmly.
The engines let out a massive roar as the fleet accelerated into the dark depths of the void.
After Raynor's departure, within Castle St. Gallus on Brevis.
Luna St. Gallus sat in her study, irritably slamming her quill onto the desk. The pen struck the expensive parchment, splashing ink across a half-finished letter.
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
Luna stood up abruptly, sweeping everything off her desk onto the floor. The various items shattered against the ground with a piercing clatter. The maids knelt in terror, trembling and not daring to look up.
"Get out! All of you, get out!" Luna screamed hysterically.
The maids fled the study as if granted a divine reprieve, closing the door behind them. Luna was left alone. She slumped into her chair, staring at the mess on the floor, her chest heaving violently.
This recent period had been the most difficult of her life. After the news of Raynor capturing Karl-2 spread, her prestige as "Regent" among the St. Gallus family and the High City nobles had plummeted to an all-time low. The nobles who used to flatter her now went out of their way to avoid her. The family elders had begun openly questioning her competence, demanding she hand over power to Leo.
Even the Mechanicus, who had always supported her, had changed their tune. Those wretched old men had sent word telling her to "stay quiet for now and avoid provoking Caelin Von."
And then there was her "dear" nephew! Since Raynor's return, Leo had become a different person. Every day, he brought a crowd to the castle to mock her, calling her a "serial loser," an "Ork prisoner," and "Raynor's most obedient toy." Every time, she was left shaking with rage but powerless to act.
What broke her most was that her carefully planned Tithe conspiracy had completely failed. She had assumed the Tithe Collector from Ventrillia would be a harsh, rigid, and impartial man, like everyone else from the Administratum. She had prepared a mountain of "evidence" to frame Raynor for tax embezzlement, hoarding armaments, and treason. She planned to use Dominic's hand to eliminate Raynor so she could step in as the savior of Brevis.
But the result? Aside from giving Raynor a cold shoulder on the first day, Dominic had spent his time idling at the starport. When he wasn't snooping for information, he was adventuring in the ice plains. And now, he had taken his main fleet to fight Orks at Karl-2!
Was he a tax collector or a mercenary hired by Raynor?
The more Luna thought about it, the more furious and desperate she became. She felt like a clown. All her schemes and plots were laughable and weak in the face of absolute strength. Raynor was at the height of his power, commanding vast armies and basking in the halo of an "Emperor's Chosen." Meanwhile, she was abandoned by everyone and left with nothing.
Was she truly going to lose to Raynor? Was she destined to live in his shadow for the rest of her life?
No! She refused to accept it! She was the savior of the St. Gallus family; she was the one who should rule Brevis! Why should a lowly outsider like Raynor stand above her?!
But what did her refusal matter? She could do nothing now. A deep sense of powerlessness washed over her. Fatigue surged from all directions, making it hard to breathe. With heavy steps, she walked out of the study and returned to her bedroom. She didn't even bother to undress, collapsing directly onto the bed.
As she closed her eyes, darkness swallowed her. She was too tired. She just wanted a good night's sleep. Perhaps in sleep, the pain would fade.
She did not realize that this would be the most painful slumber of her life.