Chapter 91: Ventris's Ordeal
Grand Inquisitor Gaius pointed to the end of the route on the star map. "This is the burial ground we have prepared for Hive Fleet Gorgon."
As everyone's eyes turned to the indicated location, Omega noticed that the destination system on the star map was particularly empty. It was all alone, unlike other systems that had close "neighbors."
"This system is exceptionally suitable for large-scale fleet combat. Only three planets orbit the star, and the number of asteroids is extremely scarce. Its remote location will concentrate Gorgon's tendrils here, so we won't have to split our forces to attack it simultaneously. The great distance from other systems will make it more difficult for the Tyranid fleet, which relies on planetary gravity for navigation, to escape, providing us with an opportunity to annihilate its routed swarms after we defeat Hive Fleet Gorgon."
"Scrap..." Omega's mouth opened, but no sound came out. Controlling Gorgon with "bait"... what is the bait? The Genestealers and all the living things on all the human planets on the route are the bait! Controlling Gorgon with "bait"... how? By making the other Genestealers outside the route "shut up," and only leaving the ones on the route, they can be controlled!
Reality was just as Omega had thought. After the meeting, he left without looking back. He had already made up his mind to leave this place immediately. If anyone had a problem with it, they could go and talk to Teyedan.
Omega walked back, his head bowed, his face dark. A pair of large ceramite boots appeared before him. He looked up and saw Ventris. In his frustration, Omega blurted out, "Deceiver, what do you want?"
Ventris, who had been smiling, felt his face twitch. He wanted to use his hand, which was twice the size of a mortal's, to give the little cog-head a good spanking. But the Captain of the 4th Company held back. At the end of the meeting, he had seen Omega leave without a moment's delay and knew that he was angry. From his understanding of Omega, he had guessed that if he didn't catch up with him quickly, this little ancestor would immediately leave this place. That was why he had hurriedly left the meeting room under the strange gazes of the others and the Chapter Master. He had already anticipated Omega's attitude.
"Haha, Magos Omega, to see an old friend and not even say hello... have we grown distant?"
"What do you want?" Omega said, annoyed.
"Come, come. It's only been a few years. Why have we grown so distant? Come with me. We'll have a chat. I'll introduce you to our Chapter Master later."
"Let go! Let go of my hand!"
Ventris, bending over and dragging Omega, just smiled and spoke with a warm hospitality, as if he were the host. He was completely oblivious to the little cog-head's verbal refusal and physical resistance. And so, Omega was dragged by the shameless Ultramarines Captain to a lounge-like cabin. There were a few other fully-armored Ultramarines inside. They were surprised to see Ventris dragging in a child dressed as a Tech-Priest, but they immediately realized who it was.
Not bad. The Macragge black tea brewed by the Ultramarines tastes the same as my wild dad's. Omega thought, drinking the tea that the Imperial demigod had personally brewed and served. Looking at Ventris, who was holding the teapot, ready to refill his cup at any moment, and the Ultramarines beside him, who were trying their best to squeeze out a "friendly" smile that was enough to make a child cry, Omega knew that they wanted something from him. He put down the exquisite teacup and said, "Alright, what do you want?"
A fleeting embarrassment crossed Ventris's face. "The resurgent Hive Fleet Gorgon is no small matter."
"Hmm, I know. Wasn't I at the meeting?"
"Making such a plan was a last resort."
Omega looked up at Ventris for a few seconds, then looked back at the tea. He said softly, "I just don't like it. It's not that I don't understand. But thank you for explaining it to me."
"As long as you understand."
The silence in the lounge lasted for a long time before Omega broke it. "I don't want to be an executioner and a butcher. Even if there are just and unavoidable reasons, I don't have the courage to face it all like you. I'm a coward, so I choose to run away."
"You've done well enough." There was not a trace of falsehood in Ventris's words. He had seen the earth-shattering changes on Teyedan. He understood that the "cowardice" of the little Magos before him was only due to his kindness. He continued, "This is our duty, not your responsibility. Stay. We need your help here."
Omega felt that the weapons and medical equipment he had sold were of little help to such a massive fleet. It was better than nothing, but... He asked, puzzled, "What good can I do by staying here? Even if I dismantle the Cogboy, it won't be enough to support a small war. What's the use of me staying here?"
"There is. Of course, there is. For example—"
"For example, what?"
"—'lending' me some equipment," Ventris squeezed out, word by word.
Shameless! was the only thought in Omega's mind. And to think that for a moment, he had actually thought Ventris was trying to comfort him. It turned out he was just trying to get something for nothing. What did he mean, "lend"? The Deceiver was no longer deceiving daemons; he was now deceiving cog-heads.
"'Lend'?" Omega said sarcastically.
"Hahaha, hahaha—" Ventris laughed to cover his embarrassment.
The other Ultramarines, who were acting as the atmosphere group, also showed a look of surprise. They had originally thought that Ventris was just trying to buy some good things for their battle-brothers from this "magical little cog-head" he often mentioned, at cost price. Now they found that Ventris's new nickname was not unearned.
"Are you going to pay interest?" Omega continued sarcastically.
"There can be interest!"
"I'm interested in your interest, and you're interested in my principal, is that it?"
"How could that be? I am an Ultramarine, a son of Guilliman."
Hearing this, the other Ultramarines all turned their heads to the side. Although they knew that the Captain of the 4th Company was doing this for the sake of their battle-brothers, to have better, more WAAAGH! gear to deal with the Tyranids, to use the name of their gene-father for such a thing was too much. But they were also the beneficiaries of Ventris's shamelessness, so they chose to be selectively deaf.
Ventris's shamelessness left Omega speechless. "Captain, I remember you left Teyedan with 50 master-crafted power swords and 50 Iron Halos. It's only been a few years. Is it really necessary?"
"Hah, is it necessary—"
Ventris then recounted his experiences over the past few years. After leaving Teyedan and entering the warp, he had encountered a warp storm. According to the original plan, he was supposed to report back to the Regent and give him a detailed account of the situation on Teyedan. But when he had finally broken free from the warp storm and exited the warp, he found that several years had passed. Because his ship had exited the warp not far from Macragge, he had received a message from Calgar about Hive Fleet Gorgon. So he had decided to first deliver the thank-you gifts Omega had given him to the Chapter. With these things, his battle-brothers would be better able to face the Tyranid swarms.
After successfully arriving at Macragge, he had intended to hand over the gifts to Calgar and then set out again. But at that moment, he had received a notification from Guilliman. The content was that he already knew about Teyedan, and there was no need to rush back to give him a detailed report. He was to first help Calgar deal with the threat of Gorgon and to coordinate the cooperation with the T'au Empire. So Ventris had stayed on Macragge. But when he had given the gifts to Calgar, Calgar had said that these gifts were Omega's thanks to him, and that he should decide how to distribute them himself.
Hearing this, the first thing Ventris did was to touch the Blade of Ventanus at his waist, to remind Calgar, "I saved your life. You can't screw me over like this!"
The Chapter Master of the Ultramarines had looked at the Chapter's honor wall, then at his own position, and had hinted to Ventris that the Chapter was full of meritorious warriors who were skilled in battle. These pieces of equipment were not the Chapter's sacred relics with special meaning. It was not appropriate for him, as the Chapter Master, to distribute them. If he did a good job, he would have a chance to be promoted to Captain of the 1st Company. And when he, one day, died gloriously, the position of Chapter Master would be his.
Ventris, realizing that his Chapter Master was determined to dump this on him, had shivered on the spot. The reason was that it was not just him and Calgar present. There were also many of his battle-brothers who had come to welcome him. The gazes of these brothers were too fervent; even his power armor couldn't block them. Although Ventris had tried his best to "spread the rain and dew evenly," the result was that all who were "sprinkled" were not very satisfied. Not to mention those who had not been "sprinkled" at all. And with the "resentful daemon" in the warp having spent the past few years tirelessly spreading his fame, the Ultramarines already knew about Ventris's new nickname. They all felt that Ventris, this sly-fox who didn't like to follow the Codex Astartes, must have more good things.
"So you plan to cheat a batch of equipment out of me to shut your brothers' mouths," Omega said, rolling his eyes.
"How can you say 'cheat'?" Ventris said with a fawning smile. "It's a loan! A loan!"
"Then when do you plan to pay it back?"
"Err..."
The black-hearted cog-head, who held the core technology and had mastered mass production, lied without batting an eye. "Don't even think about it. Do you know how rare the materials to make a power sword are?"
Seeing Omega's refusal, Ventris became anxious. "I'll pay you back, I'll definitely pay you back! When I become the Chapter Master, I'll pay you back with interest!"
You really swallowed the pie Calgar drew for you, didn't you? With your attitude, you want to be the Chapter Master? Hah!
Just as Omega was looking speechlessly at the still-bargaining Ventris, the door to the lounge was pushed open. It was Chapter Master Calgar and Grand Inquisitor Gaius.