Chapter 125: The Bellwether

Chapter 125: The Bellwether

The surviving members of the Inquisition looked towards the two Astartes.

He hoped to hear from their mouths that Lucan was, in fact, a blasphemer.

However, both Harald and Howles proved that what Lucan said was true.

They did not know the truth about Lucan subsequently cutting off Scyvilla and the others' path to survival.

But they did know that overloading the shield was Scyvilla's own proposal.

"What Lord Lucan said is all true. His Dynasty's soldiers banished the Greater Daemon of Khorne, and Lord Inquisitor Scyvilla and Lady Aspice also voluntarily requested to carry out the mission to overload the void shield.

Their loyalty and noble actions are worthy of being remembered by all."

Howles's words left the present members of the Inquisition speechless.

The Deathwatch in the Expanse could be considered a force under the Inquisition's command. When their own people proved what Lucan said was true, they really couldn't think of any way to refute it.

With the planet utterly destroyed, there was no possibility of investigation.

As the meeting reached this point, the atmosphere became extremely oppressive.

Although the threat of Chaos had been broken, what was next?

The Imperial side had also won a pyrrhic victory. The losses to their fleet were not particularly great, but the loss of personnel was almost catastrophic. The deaths of Scyvilla and Aspice made the subsequent aid to the Imperium a headache.

The deaths of a large number of elite Imperial Navy personnel and Astra Militarum soldiers would not be so easy to replenish.

Originally, these soldiers had all been selected to go to the Calixis Sector.

And the supplies that were supposed to be used for support had been heavily consumed here. Replenishing these supplies would take a very long time.

The death of a Rogue Trader would surely plunge the Kourda Dynasty into a period of chaos.

And now, who was qualified to unite these forces of the Expanse?

Unconsciously, everyone's gaze turned towards Lucan.

Although they were reluctant to admit it, the one who had made the decisive blow in this battle was indeed the Mongorte Dynasty.

And Lucan's commitment to this battle had also shown everyone the true strength of the Mongorte Dynasty now; there were too many technologies they had never seen before.

The combat effectiveness of his soldiers was also unprecedented.

No one present had any confidence in confronting Lucan and his Dynasty.

Even some of the minor Rogue Trader Dynasties that had previously attached themselves to the Inquisition had begun to have second thoughts.

Were they truly willing to be vassals of the Inquisition? Of course not. It was just that it was more in line with their interests. But now Scyvilla was dead, and who knew what the next Lord Inquisitor to appear would be like.

It was better to find a new backer at this turning point of change. And Lucan, as a fellow Rogue Trader, was clearly a very good partner.

Looking at everyone's gazes, Lucan also spoke at the opportune moment.

"The trials the Expanse will face next will require all of us to face them together. The remnants of the Winterscale Dynasty are still roaming this star sector. My soldiers, my fleet, and I will continue to hunt them down until they are completely purified.

But more importantly, for the Expanse's upcoming support for the Imperial heartland, all of us who live in the Expanse, whether we are Rogue Trader Dynasties or the Imperial Navy, will have to face a cruel problem. Once we reach the Calixis Sector, will we be treated as sacrificial cannon fodder by the Departmento Munitorum and the other powerful nobles of the Calixis Sector?

Someone always has to make a sacrifice. Someone always has to fight the wars that no one else wants to fight. I believe in the loyalty of everyone present to the God-Emperor, and I also believe you are willing to sacrifice for the God-Emperor.

But I believe none of you want to sacrifice yourselves for others for no reason, nor do you want your sacrifices to be meaningless, or even to satisfy the selfish desires of certain individuals, correct?"

At Lucan's words, everyone nodded in approval. In the Expanse, Rogue Traders were the largest group. When all the Rogue Trader Dynasties gathered together, their fleet size and number of soldiers even exceeded that of the local Imperial Navy.

Rogue Traders were indeed loyalists. When needed, they would scout for the Imperium's vast fleets and even provide supplies. But more often than not, they were merchants acting in their own self-interest. They would compete with other factions and even break out in conflict.

Every Rogue Trader Dynasty had its own sphere of influence and forbidden zones of interest.

And it wasn't just the Expanse that had Rogue Traders; some Rogue Traders within the Imperium proper were true behemoths.

They could imagine that after they arrived in the Calixis Sector, they would inevitably be constrained by the local powers.

Even if the roles were reversed, they too would choose to preserve their own effective forces while sacrificing others if possible.

Rogue Traders understood other Rogue Traders best. A united front against an external enemy was one thing; mutual scheming was another. The two did not conflict.

If Scyvilla, a Lord Inquisitor who had been stationed in the Expanse for a long time, had been leading them, their situation would have been much better. After all, in a sense, Scyvilla's interests were tied to the Expanse. The stronger the Expanse, the more forces he could mobilize, and the more political capital he would have.

With his status, he could also have helped the Expanse's support fleet avoid many problems. But now he was dead. And Aspice, who also held considerable power in the Calixis Sector, was also dead. Now there was no one left to protect them, the people from the Expanse.

And the consequence of losing someone with a powerful voice was that, inevitably, everyone present would be forced to accept some orders they were unwilling to receive.

So now, among those present, who was the strongest, and who had the highest prestige?

The Rogue Traders couldn't possibly count on the Imperial Navy to help them, nor could they count on those "grease-monkeys" from the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Although they all belonged to the Imperium, they were not of the same faction. Expect them to speak up for the Rogue Traders? By the God-Emperor, you might as well hope for Chaos to give up attacking the Imperium on its own.

Thinking of this, the representatives of the Rogue Trader Dynasties present all looked towards Lucan.

And feeling everyone's gazes, Lucan knew his words had taken effect.

He didn't need everyone's support. The Navy was backed by the Imperium. The Adeptus Mechanicus was a faction unto itself; after all, one of the two heads of the Imperial Aquila was them. And his title as a Living Saint naturally gave him the support of the Imperial Cult.

And for the rest, he only needed the support of the Rogue Traders of the Expanse, and that was enough. The Rogue Traders, when gathered together, were not a force to be underestimated.

And these were the people most easily bound together by interests.

"Lord Lucan! As the Rogue Trader of the Mongorte Dynasty, your strength is for all to see. And as a Living Saint of the God-Emperor, we also have sufficient trust in you. Lord Scyvilla and Lady Aspice have returned their souls to the Emperor's throne. I believe you are very suitable to be our bellwether."

Looking at the Rogue Trader who had spoken, Lucan had some impression of him. The other party was from a minor Rogue Trader Dynasty. The one speaking was their Rogue Trader, Otis Chambers. They didn't even have a fixed home world but were a dynasty that roamed the Expanse and Imperial space, mainly engaged in trade.

They traveled between the Expanse and the Imperium.

A teachable child! The smaller the dynasty, the fewer their scruples. They unhesitatingly chose to be the first to jump onto the great ship of the Mongorte Dynasty.

And with the first person speaking up, more and more people began to agree.

But there were still some who were watching from the sidelines. These people often had more assets, and taking a side too hastily would not benefit them. Lucan was not in a hurry. Sooner or later, these people would join his camp. Going it alone would bring them no good.

Even if Lucan had to force them, he would get them onto his ship.

"Thank you all for your support. Everything is for the God-Emperor, everything is for the Imperium. The Mongorte Dynasty, for the stability of the Expanse, can provide each of you with a regiment's worth of combat suits as a free sponsorship.

When your fleets or planets are attacked, you can send a distress signal to the nearest Mongorte Dynasty forces. The Mongorte Dynasty will surely protect its allies. And in the future, this sponsorship will be even greater. I will absolutely not stand by and watch the interests of any of you suffer losses!"

(End of Chapter)

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