Inside an orbital outpost in Leopes' near-Earth orbit, orders from the Governor had already been issued. Everyone was standing by in full battle readiness. Leopes even boasted its own local planetary defense fleet: six armed merchantmen, four orbital defense platforms, and an ancient Sword-class frigate of mysterious origin—which, of course, now belonged to the Cape family.
The Cape family fleet, floating quietly in orbit, was far stronger now than when Alexei first encountered them. Armand had used his personal connections and vast resources to squeeze two decommissioned cruisers out of the infamously stingy Imperial Navy. It wasn't that he couldn't acquire a larger battlecruiser, but calculations showed that maintaining two cruisers maximized their interests; adding a single battlecruiser would have doubled his maintenance costs.
Furthermore, over the years, he had relied on his fully armed warriors in power armor to salvage several space hulks and even conquer multiple rebellious planets, expanding the territory of both his family and the Imperium of Man.
At this moment, Armand stood within the command bridge of his new cruiser. He gazed silently at the massive holographic star chart before him. Guards in power armor stood nearby to ensure his safety, while his domestic chamberlain stood quietly behind him.
"Still no movement at the Mandeville Point..." Armand whispered in doubt. Suddenly, the Master of Intelligence approached from a distance. "My Lord, we have received a new communication. That fleet has declared its new identity."
"What is it?" He turned to look.
"The Aiur Crusade," Nesuss answered respectfully.
"Aiur..." The moment Armand heard the name, his pupils contracted slightly. How could he ever forget that name? His STC template for producing power armor had been obtained from Aiur.
"A Crusade?" He didn't understand why an Aiur fleet would appear here. In his memory, they only had a few small ships—weak armed merchantmen at best. How could they claim the title of a Crusade?
A mocking smile tugged at the corner of Armand's mouth. Although he didn't know how these fellows had navigated the dangerous Warp, they currently posed no threat to him.
"Go inform Governor Heinrich that he can lower his guard slightly. The newcomers are nothing more than fools playing house in the surging waves," Armand told the intelligence chief.
"Understood, My Lord," Nesuss replied and slowly withdrew.
Armand took one last look at the holographic star chart, intending to return to his quarters. He had wasted his time worrying; it was time to plan his next itinerary. The galaxy was in turmoil, but with great danger came great opportunity. They would surely rise with the wind.
Just as he was envisioning the future, the holographic star chart suddenly flashed a warning red. Armand looked up instantly, falling into a deathly silence. His eyes were filled with utter disbelief. "This... what is this?!"
Not far from them, a dense cluster of red dots had appeared on the star chart. Each dot represented a warship. At a rough glance, there were nearly a hundred of them.
Armand couldn't understand why the Aiur fleet had so many warships, let alone how they had appeared directly in front of them. "Damn it, tell everyone to prepare for battle!"
When Alexei learned that other ships were stationed in Leopes' orbit, his expression became extremely strange. He recognized the family crest on those ships—it was the Cape family, the very one he had been impersonating. "No wonder they rejected the docking request. The 'fake' Li Kui has run into the real one."
It seemed the other party had become quite wealthy. It appeared that with the barracks he had given them, the Cape family had indeed hauled in a lot of good loot. He wondered why the Adeptus Mechanicus hadn't caused them any trouble yet.
However, against the Aiur fleet, a handful of ships and orbital platforms wouldn't even survive a single salvo. Any attempt to stop them was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
"Sir, the other party has sent a communication request," the adjutant's voice sounded from the side.
"Accept it," Alexei nodded. He hadn't expected them to initiate contact.
Soon, a familiar voice rang in his ear. "Long time no see." Armand's voice still carried a hint of a smile, though Alexei suspected their faces had turned green the moment they saw his fleet.
"Long time no see, Lord Armand. It is truly an honor to meet you here during such dark and chaotic times," Alexei replied with a smile.
"...May I ask why your... fleet has appeared here?" Armand asked after a moment of silence, his voice slightly stiff.
"Lord Armand, the Segmentum Obscurus is currently fraught with peril. The shadow of Chaos looms over everyone. As part of the same sector, Aiur naturally cannot stand by while our fellow citizens suffer enemy invasions," Alexei replied with righteous dignity. "The Aiur fleet is here to assist those weaker planets. My Lord, we are here to offer help."
Help? Hmph, I think you're looking to rebel, Armand sneered silently, though he didn't say it aloud. Looking at the dense red dots on the star chart, he knew he was no match for them.
Unless the main force of the Imperial Navy arrived, their few ships and ground-based anti-air fire were merely a drop in the ocean. He truly had no way to stop them.
"May we dock for resupply?" Alexei's voice entered Armand's ears again, and simultaneously reached Governor Heinrich at the spire. Since the visitor put it that way, what could Leopes do? Refuse?
And then be destroyed?
Heinrich replied with a grim expression, "You may. However, our starport cannot accommodate so many ships. Only a portion may approach."
"Of course, that is enough. Thank you for your kindness," Alexei replied. He closed the communication and turned to Kaidel. "Get ready."
"Yes, My Lord," Kaidel acknowledged and immediately vanished into the shadows.
Alexei gazed out the window at the growing grey planet. The fleet was close enough now. He had hidden the Zerg Leviathans behind various planets in the system; should anything go wrong, they could rush in to support instantly.
While still some distance from Leopes, the main Aiur fleet halted in the void. The Red Romance led a few warships toward the Leopes starport.
Through the bridge viewport, Armand frowned as he looked at the massive fleet nearby, his mind racing. "As I thought, this was produced by an STC template." In his eyes, things created by STC templates had specific characteristics: they were numerous, brand new, and identical—as if they were clones.
To suggest Aiur had built these themselves? The Emperor would laugh so hard he'd stand up from the Golden Throne.
Watching the Red Romance slowly approach, an indescribable emotion welled up in Armand's eyes. It felt as though... he had been severely ripped off back then.