The footsteps sounded urgently.
The Khan strode forward, and behind him followed the messengers, including the dispatcher, captain, and Space Marines of the White Scars fleet.
And... a Mechanical Sage.
Tarasim.
Malcador did not hesitate to use his psychic powers to send a message, naming the people he was going to meet.
After the last close combat with Horus, the Khan led the remaining fleet and hid in the star field near Cadia, ready to escape and fight the enemy at any time.
But surprisingly, since then, the Warmaster's fleet has not made any major moves. The ships have quietly drifted along the equatorial trajectory of Cadia, and other than that, there has been no action.
Of course, new ships continued to come from afar and join the Warmaster's fleet.
What is Horus waiting for
According to reports from the Storm Prophets, there is a sudden chaos in the Warp. This may be related to some large-scale sacrifice or struggle. Could this be related to Horus's abnormal behavior
The Khan thought that they could not leave Khadia, and the gap in strength between the two sides was too great, so they could not attack rashly - so the Khan ordered the entire army to remain silent and not act rashly.
Fortunately, the first batch of reinforcements has arrived. The speed at which they arrived was beyond Khan's expectations. The turbulence in the subspace had no effect on their speed at all.
Without any hesitation, the Khan carefully avoided Horus's detection in the Eye of Terror, and immediately led the legion to meet up with the reinforcements.
The mechanical servant opened the door for the Khan. In the conference room, two reinforcements who came from afar were already waiting there.
The Khan glanced at him with a calm expression.
Malcador naturally sat down in the main seat at the long wooden table, no longer wearing his hood. The staff in his hand looked more like a symbol of imperial power at this moment.
Mortarion sat with his head down on Malcador's left, muttering something behind his gas mask, with mist lingering around him.
Seeing the Khan coming, the two were not prepared to stand up. Malcador raised his eyes and motioned for the Khan to sit down, while Mortarion continued to lower his head as if he saw nothing. However, after the Khan and his party sat down, the Pale Lord glanced sharply from the edge of his hood at the people behind the Khan.
… He’s looking at Trazyn
The Khan was silent.
Malcador coughed and began the meeting, introducing the objectives of the next battle to the Khan.
Seven minutes later, Mortarion stood up and interrupted the conversation between Malcador and the Khan.
I already know all this.
Mortarion said simply, "I'm going to go out and check the fluctuations in the warp, you guys continue."
Malcador glanced at Mortarion nonchalantly and waved his hand, signaling Mortarion to leave.
Mortarion stood up and began to walk away, but when he reached the seats where the mortals sat, the Pale Lord paused.
[you,]
The Khan saw the sage covered in machinery and shivered as if he had a leakage of electricity.
Mortarion slowly bent down, his tree-like body standing behind Trazyn's seat, his huge, pale, withered hand resting on the back of Trazyn's chair.
He bent his eyes to level with Trazyn, staring at the Sage's camera.
[Are you the temporary steward of the Order of Silence? ]
Trazyn, the Overlord of the Necrons, swore that he had not felt so close to death in a long time.
“…Yes…Yes.”
Hearing his answer, Mortarion glanced at him casually from head to toe. The Primarch's gaze lingered for a moment on the cloak he had tucked into the little Death Guard. If Trazyn was still breathing, he would have fainted from breathing too fast.
His mechanical body was almost shaking. If he had known, he would not have been greedy for the quarrel between Malcador and the Primarch! Moreover, it was agreed that Mortarion would not be included in this meeting!
As a fellow Primarch, Corax's thought model is very approachable, but Mortarion - what kind of lunatic is this? !
The worst that could happen was that he would abandon this body - although this body gave him some power - but he could do without it!
Just when Trazyn was thinking about whether to just send back the consciousness data and get out of here, Mortarion finally withdrew his gaze.
[Thank you for your contribution to the Order of Silence.]
Mortarion said, "May I ask you some questions about the Order of Silence? The Death Guard have always had connections with the Order of Silence... We need to verify some data."
Can he refuse
Trazyn knew that he had definitely been exposed - but he didn't know how much he had exposed. Did the other side know that he was an alien, or did they know that he had "borrowed" a small Death Guard
Or worse, Mortari knows about it!
Trazyn thought for a moment. Now in the Eye of Terror, he could transfer a total of thirty-two spare bodies from Cadia within ten hours. If it really didn't work, he would simply give up his own body.
Although Trazyn was reluctant to part with this body and the friendship between Corax, Corax had now gone to the dark side of the Empire, and other spare bodies were also heading to Corax's vicinity.
And... Trazyn thought, it's not that they can't talk - with the mentality of trying every possible means, his target this time was Mortarion, but he couldn't help but captured a small Death Guard in advance.
Just one thing, with the Primarch's magnanimity, he shouldn't be angry about this, right
"Yes, sir."
As Malcador and the Khan watched, Trazyn stood up tremblingly and led the servitor to the private reception room.
Trazyn saw Malcador's eyes. The old man seemed to have some hidden meaning. He stared at Trazyn and Mortarion solemnly, as if he wanted to say something. In that instant, Trazyn knew that he would not be able to finish this time.
Malcador will protect him.
This is a sure thing.
They are all old hands with a lot of experience. After all, Tarasim is the historian of the Necrontyr.
But why didn't Malcador come forward himself? Trazyn wondered, was Paimortarion trying to show his sincerity? Could it be that the Empire was aware of his intentions
Trazyn thought, but it didn't matter.
Importantly, Trazyn decided to try to capture a small Death Guard next.
——————
The robot servant closed the door for them in silence. It was a slightly smaller room with two single sofas facing each other. Tracin, who entered the room first, took the initiative to sit on the smaller one.
Then he turned back and stared at Mortarion.
The Primarch seemed startled by his action, and Mortarion stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable beneath his hood.
[… Not pretending anymore? ]
There was a hissing sound under the mist. Trazyn took the tea handed to him by the servitor, and a crack appeared on his metal face. He drank the tea.
"I don't understand what you mean, sir."
Trazyn said calmly, and sure enough, he heard Mortarion's wheezing breaths.
[I hate aliens.]
Mortarion's extremely resentful voice dissipated in the fog, but the Primarch still moved to sit down opposite Trazyn.
"If you hate it, I can leave now."
Trazyn believed that Mortarion's force against this body was suppressed, but if it was a verbal confrontation, and the other party did not involve revenge afterwards...
Quite interesting.
As expected, Mortarion paused. After a moment's silence, the Primarch spoke.
[You are friends with the Master of the Order of Silence.]
This was a statement. Trazyn nodded.
"Yes, he once entrusted me with something, and I should help."
Mortarion fell silent again, as if he had just learned to speak, and the Primarch's boredom almost materialized, pacing back and forth in the room like a trapped animal.
[Allow me to ask, what did the Lord of the Order of Silence promise you? ]
When you say this, Trazyn won't be sleepy anymore.
Trazyn sipped the tea slowly—poured the liquid into the waste container.
"Himself."
At that moment, Trazyn was sure that his alarm went off for only a moment.
Mortarion sat hunched over on the ill-fitting sofa in deathly silence, staring at Trazyn, his murderous intent and coldness almost materialized at the same time.
"I think that since we have sat down to talk, my Lord is not here to seek revenge on Trazyn - if my Lord insists on this, perhaps Lord Malcador can come instead."
Hearing these words, the chill around Mortarion quickly dissipated.
Trazyn waited quietly, listening to Mortarion's asthmatic breaths seven times, and then the Primarch wiped his face with both hands. After that, a faint, tired voice sounded,
[… Feel sorry.]
"I accept your apology, my lord."
Taraxin answered smoothly that he was just being kind. If another overlord had come, a fight would probably have broken out.
Realizing that he could not continue like this, Mortarion stood up and took off his hood. The Primarch held out his hand.
[Human Empire, Death Guard Primarch, Mortarion.]
"Former Necrontyr, Overlord of the Nihilak Dynasty, Trazyn."
Trazyn extended his mechanical limbs and shook hands with Mortarion, but this time, Mortarion was as calm as if he were dead.
The Primarch loosened his grip.
[Thank you for accepting the commission from the Lord of the Order of Silence,]
Mortarion spoke without any emotion.
[I believe that the existence that the Lord of the Order of Silence is willing to entrust must be an existence that he is willing to trust.]
"Of course," Trazyn waved her hand. "That boy got a lot from me."
He stared at Mortarion for a moment, but Mortarion continued.
[In the name of his comrade, and in the name of Mortarion,] Mortarion said, his face as pale as death, [Trazyn, I wish to alter the terms of this commission with you - in the coming years, I wish you to protect the Master of the Order of Silence, and take him away from the galaxy until he can control himself.]
Trazyn was silent, as if thinking. Mortarion stared across, feeling that he must be crazy.
But if the information Malcador said is correct - then it can only be the Space Overlord.
It could only be Trazyn.
Until the deceased truly awakens and can truly control himself, there is no place for him in the empire.
No one could even get close to him.
The Necrons' technology could help him, and their soulless nature made them completely fearless of the Black Realm.
And the Necrons who can make the deal happen...
"Why should I accept that?"
Trazyn asked back,
In fact, he came here just to shelter and protect Hades, but whether he would release him after sheltering him or not... depends on Hades' mood at that time.
Mortarion stared at Trazyn, his eyes turning white like a cold-blooded animal.
What do you want
Trazyn laughed, the electronic sound was particularly harsh, and the alien waved his hand.
"I just think that I get along well with Hades, and want to make friends with him. I'm only talking to you because of our friendship with him."
Mortarion said nothing in the face of Trazyn's deliberate taunting. The Pale Lord sat there without saying a word.
This can absolutely be done, Malcador had told Mortarion himself.
When it comes to interests that satisfy both parties, stance is never an issue.
The Emperor and Malcador speculated that perhaps Mortarion could paint a big picture for the Necrons about [recovering their souls/giving the race new life].
Mortarion has successfully taken away Death, so other powers may be obtainable.
And the behavior of the Necromancer seemed to have the same intention.
Mortarion originally wanted to let Malcador come, but the old man insisted that Mortarion negotiate. Malcador looked at Mortarion and told him that this was his own path from now on.
You don't have to leave, Malcador said. Keep swinging your scythe at the aliens. I'll let Guilliman do it.
Mortarion took a deep breath.
[I come to negotiate with you for the life of the Lord of the Order of Silence.]
Mortarion was irritated. He could not say the words. He could not say them, anyway.
It was obvious that Trazyn only needed to propose conditions, but Trazyn deliberately talked about benefits - it was obvious that he was teasing Mortarion.
How on earth did the deceased become friends with such an alien
Mortarion closed his eyes, then opened them again, his tone becoming more casual.
[I know you must be dissatisfied with the fact that the deceased took too much from you.]
Mortarion chuckled.
[I apologize to you for this. The Death Guard can compensate you - even if you don't like the Death Guard's things now, but in the future... ]
[You can ask.]
Mortarion said, staring at Trazyn, his eyes whitened for a moment, he looked at this soulless body, [Perhaps... I know what you want? ]
[Even if I can't do it now, it doesn't mean—]
"Thirteen small Death Guard."
Mortarion's words were stuck.
[What?] The Primarch's thoughts, which had finally been resolved, suddenly became confused.
"Thirteen small Death Guard."
Trazyn said firmly,
[You don't want... something else... like a subspace projection?]
Trazyn laughed.
"You mean the soul?"
Mortarion nodded. Trazyn's electronic camera looked at Mortarion, but could not see any emotion in it.
"That is indeed the plan."
"But—" Trazyn changed his tone and waved his hand, "It's just a free-handed effort, helping a friend."
"If you're worried..." Trazyn said, "your emperor will definitely impose restrictions on me anyway, and I also have the technology to prevent breach of contract."
"I'm also curious about how far Hades can go."
Seeing Mortarion's face darken again,
[Did you plan to do this from the beginning?]
Trazyn nodded and leisurely picked up the cup.
"I was the first one to arrive in Cadia, human."
[Then you—]Why do you deliberately make things difficult for him
Mortarion interrupted himself urgently, and the Necrons glanced at him.
"I remember there is a proverb among humans that people need to be responsible for what they say."
Mortarion was silent again.
I apologize.
Trazyn laughed again, and the alien said in a strange voice,
"It's really difficult for you."
Mortarion was silent for a long time. Finally, the Primarch lifted his cloak, and thirteen chubby little guys came out from under the white mist.
I apologize again, Trazyn.
Mortarion said, "I'm sorry I offended my friend's friend."
[At the same time, in the name of the Pale Lord, if I make new discoveries in the future, I will come to you.]
Mortarion paused.
[This is my sincerity, it has nothing to do with the empire or humanity. ]
Mortarion looked up at Trazyn. The little Death Guard at his feet walked towards Trazyn fearfully.
[I hope you will treat my friends well.]
He hated aliens.
Okay, no more
(End of this chapter)