The First Purge Fleet returned home.
The orbit of the planet "Iron Wall" was deathly silent.
All ships, whether Dominion or Reinhardt's, had shut down non-essential external communications.
But an invisible piece of information had already spread through the high-level Dominion via the encrypted military network.
It was a video.
The video recorded how a planet was completely erased from the universe.
Reinhardt walked down the gangway of the "storm".
Greeting him was still General Armitage.
But this time, there were no other generals behind him.
He was alone.
This Dominion commander-in-Chief, an old man who had spent a lifetime in iron and blood, had aged twenty years overnight.
He looked at Reinhardt.
That gaze was a mixture of fear and awe.
There was also a trace of mad greed, wanting to seize this disaster and make it his own.
"Nest-7 has disappeared from the star charts."
General Armitage's voice was dry, as if forced out of his throat.
"Yes."
Reinhardt's answer was very calm.
"You have proven your power to us." General Armitage's Adam's apple rolled with difficulty, "Now, it's your turn to tell us what price we must pay for this."
He was very clear.
After witnessing that "Exterminatus," so-called "Cooperation" was a joke.
Only obedience and being obeyed remained.
"Price?"
Reinhardt smiled.
"General, you've misspoken again."
"This is not a price."
"This is a gift."
He bypassed Armitage and walked toward the massive circular conference room.
Without waiting for an invitation, he walked directly to the head seat.
That was the seat that originally belonged to General Armitage.
Sergeant Andre and another Ultramarine stood behind him, one on each side.
Two azure statues.
They emitted no killing intent.
But that pressure made the air in the entire conference room solidify.
When Armitage and the Dominion's star-studded generals walked into the room,
this was the scene they saw.
A young man sat at the pinnacle of their power.
Behind him stood two gods of war capable of destroying everything they had.
Everyone's feet were nailed to the doorway.
No one dared take another step forward.
"Sit."
Reinhardt's voice wasn't loud,
but it was like a divine oracle.
All the generals, including General Vance, subconsciously pulled out their chairs and sat down stiffly.
"The crusade was a victory."
Reinhardt's fingers lightly tapped on the smooth conference table.
Each tap was like a heavy hammer striking everyone's heart.
"The Dominion Soldiers were heroic. They did not retreat when facing enemies several times their number. Their courage is worthy of commendation."
His words made the complexions of several generals present look slightly better.
Vance as well.
He thought Reinhardt would use that tragic stalemate to humiliate them.
But he didn't.
"However."
Reinhardt's tone shifted.
"Courage cannot replace will."
"In that battle, the casualties of the Dominion Marines were forty times those of the Astra Militarum."
"Under the psychic shock of the Psyker Brain-Worm, your army completely collapsed in just a few minutes."
"Your soldiers—some wept with their heads in their hands, some turned on each other, and some even knelt directly on the ground, giving up all resistance."
"Tell me, Generals, why?"
Reinhardt's gaze swept over everyone.
Calm, yet sharp.
No one dared meet his eyes.
"That was a psychic attack the likes of which we've never seen," a Major General stammered in explanation. "Our soldiers haven't undergone training in this area—"
"Training?"
Reinhardt sneered.
"General, do you think will is something that can be gained through training?"
"No."
"Will originates from faith."
"My soldiers were able to stand tall in that psychic hell not because their nerves were tougher than yours."
"But because in their hearts, there is an unshakeable monument named the 'Emperor'."
"The Emperor's glory shields their souls. The Emperor's will guides their blades."
"Therefore, they are fearless."
Reinhardt stood up.
Behind him, Sergeant Andre also took a step forward.
*Clack.*
The heavy metal boot sole collided with the floor.
Everyone's heart skipped a beat.
"Your army is powerful. Your weapons are sophisticated. But you lack a soul."
"A soul of iron that can keep your spine straight even when facing the deepest horrors of the universe."
"And today, I shall give you this soul as a gift."
Reinhardt made a pressing motion in the air.
In the center of the conference room, a holographic image was projected.
An Astra Militarum Political Commissar wearing a black greatcoat and a skull mask, holding a bolter and a power sword.
His posture was upright.
His gaze was cold.
"Commissar."
Reinhardt uttered the word.
"From today onward, every unit of the Dominion, from the smallest company to the largest army group, must establish the position of Political Commissar."
"They will be personally selected by me, or trained by instructors authorized by me."
"Their duty is not to command battle, but to oversee thought, maintain discipline, and spread the Emperor's truth."
"They will be the soul of the army, the extension of the Emperor's will, and the final line of defense ensuring absolute loyalty."
"They have the right, at any time, to execute any soldier on charges of 'disloyalty to the Emperor' or 'destabilizing morale,' regardless of their rank."
"Including all of you present."
Reinhardt finished his final sentence.
The entire conference room fell into a deathly silence.
The color drained from everyone's faces.
General Vance suddenly stood up, his chair scraping harshly against the floor.
"This is absolutely impossible!"
He roared.
"This is dividing the army! This is creating a terrifying secret police independent of the chain of command!"
"You are destroying the military command system we've built over a thousand years!"
"This will make every officer fear for their lives! We are fighting xenos, not our own people!"
His words spoke for the majority of the generals.
Several equally agitated young officers wanted to stand up in agreement.
But they couldn't stand up.
Sergeant Andre's massive helmet turned toward them.
He said nothing.
He just looked at them.
That gaze pressed down hard on their shoulders through the cold faceplate.
The thoughts of resistance that had just arisen were instantly crushed to powder.
"General Vance."
Reinhardt's voice rang out again.
He looked at the general who was trembling with rage, a trace of pity in his eyes.
"You are still thinking with that outdated war logic belonging to mortals."
"I will repeat myself. What we are conducting is not a war."
"It is a purification."
"In this holy purification, the greatest enemy has never been the xenos lurking in the depths of space."
"It is the weakness, hesitation, and impurity within our own hearts."
"The existence of the Commissar is to thoroughly and ruthlessly excise these impurities from the human army."
"As for the command system you mentioned—"
The corners of Reinhardt's mouth curled into a cold arc.
"From today onward, the Dominion has only one Supreme commander."
"That is the Emperor."
"And I am his sole representative in this world."
"My will is the Emperor's will."
"Anyone who goes against my will will be deemed a heretic. Anyone who questions my orders will be deemed a traitor."
"This is the new order."
"Do you understand?"
General Vance stood there with his mouth open, staring blankly at Reinhardt.
He wanted to argue.
He wanted to roar.
He wanted to draw his sidearm and aim it at this arrogant madman who had desecrated all the honor of the Dominion.
But he couldn't do it.
Under the gaze of that azure giant, his body and his will were frozen.
He could only watch helplessly as everything he had defended his whole life was being completely crushed by the man before him in an indisputable manner.
Just then,
General Armitage slowly stood up.
He walked to Vance's side and placed a hand on his trembling shoulder.
"Vance, sit down."
His voice was raspy, yet exceptionally calm.
Vance snapped his head back, looking at his commander-in-Chief in disbelief.
"General! You—"
"I said, sit down."
Armitage's voice grew heavier.
Vance looked into Armitage's eyes.
In those eyes, he saw no anger, no resentment.
He only saw a complete submission deeper than despair.
Vance felt as if all his strength had been drained, and he slumped back into his chair.
General Armitage turned to face Reinhardt.
He straightened his collar.
Then, he performed an action that everyone present would never forget for the rest of their lives.
He slightly bowed his head.
That proud head had never bowed to anyone before.
"We accept this 'gift'."
He said each word deliberately.
This decision was undoubtedly painful for him.
It meant he was personally handing over the soul of the army he had built into the hands of another.
But he had no choice.
He had seen that Exterminatus.
He was very clear that Reinhardt wasn't negotiating with them at all.
He was simply notifying them.
Resistance would only bring the same end as Nest-7.
And submission...
Submission, at least, allowed them to also possess that divine power to erase a planet at will.
To exchange an ethereal "soul" for a tangible possibility that allowed humanity to stand forever in this dark universe.
This deal, no matter how humiliating,
was worth it.
"A wise choice."
Reinhardt nodded.
He wasn't surprised by Armitage's reaction at all.
"Training for the first batch of Commissars will begin in one week."
"The instructors will be veteran Astra Militarum Political Commissars under my command."
"Trainees will be selected from the Dominion Soldiers who showed the most 'piety' during this crusade."
"I hope to see the first batch of qualified Commissars dispatched to every ship and every company of the Purification Fleet within one standard month."
"This is the first small test. General, do not disappoint me."
After speaking, Reinhardt no longer looked at them.
He turned around and walked straight out of the conference room, escorted by Sergeant Andre and the others.
Leaving behind a room full of despondent Dominion generals.
One week later.
On planet "Iron Wall," at a heavily guarded military base that had been temporarily repurposed.
Three hundred Dominion Soldiers stood in the empty training ground.
They were all veteran survivors of that tragic landing battle.
Every one of them had personally witnessed the divine might of the Ultramarines.
The same fanatical fire burned in their eyes.
In front of them stood ten men wearing black greatcoats and skull masks.
Astra Militarum Political Commissars.
The most loyal and ruthless executors of the Emperor's will.
Leading them was the One-Eyed Commissar with a hideous scar on his face.
His single eye swept over every trainee present.
"Look at your faces!"
His voice was like a winter wind sweeping across the training ground.
"I see weakness, confusion, and pathetic mortal emotions!"
"You think because you've seen a god, you've touched divinity?"
"No!"
"You are just a bunch of pathetic worms trembling at the feet of a god!"
His words were biting, malicious, and full of undisguised contempt.
Unconvinced expressions appeared on the faces of some young trainees.
The One-Eyed Commissar noticed their expressions.
He sneered and suddenly drew the bolter at his waist.
He pointed randomly at the trainee with the most defiant gaze.
"You, step out!"
The trainee was taken aback, but still stepped out of the queue with his head held high.
"Tell me your name."
"Reporting, sir! Private Karl!"
"Very well, Karl."
The One-Eyed Commissar walked up to him and pressed the dark muzzle of the gun against his forehead.
"Now, answer me one question."
"If your officer issues an order to retreat on the battlefield, what would you do?"
The trainee named Karl answered without hesitation.
"Obeying orders is a soldier's duty! I would of course carry out the order!"
His answer caused many trainees to show looks of agreement.
*Bang!*
A loud boom.
Karl's head instantly exploded.
Red and white splattered across the faces of those nearby.
The training ground instantly became deathly silent.
Everyone was scared out of their wits by this sudden scene.
The One-Eyed Commissar nonchalantly holstered the pistol, which was still smoking.
He used his single eye to sweep over the trainees, whose faces were pale with fear.
"Now, I will tell you the correct answer."
"In the Emperor's army, there is no such word as 'retreat'."
"Anyone who dares to utter that word, no matter who they are, is a heretic, a coward, and a traitor to humanity who must be purified on the spot!"
"Your duty is not to obey your officers!"
"It is to obey the Emperor!"
"Your muzzles must not only be aimed at the enemy!"
"But also at those around you—those weak-willed 'companions' who might sully the Emperor's glory at any moment!"
"From today onward, you have no names, no past, and no emotions!"
"You have only one identity!"
"The Emperor's Wrath!"
"You have only one mission!"
"Purify everything!"
"Now, tell me loudly, what are you?!"
Silence.
Deathly silence.
*Bang!*
The One-Eyed Commissar fired another shot, blowing off the head of another trainee who was still trembling.
"I didn't hear your answer!"
He roared.
Finally, a trainee seemed to have his psychological defenses completely crushed; he shouted out in a trembling, raspy, tearful voice.
"The... The Emperor's Wrath..."
This voice was like a switch.
"The Emperor's Wrath!"
"The Emperor's Wrath!"
More and more voices gathered together.
From initial trembling and fear,
to final numbness and fanaticism.
Ultimately, three hundred voices converged into a single roar that shook the heavens.
"The Emperor's Wrath!"
On the distant command tower,
Reinhardt and General Vance watched this scene in silence through one-way glass.
Vance's face was as pale as paper.
He watched as those once-vibrant soldiers were being twisted into a pack of monsters who only knew slaughter and obedience in the most cruel and bloody way.
His heart was bleeding.
"You... You are destroying them."
His voice was incredibly dry.
"No."
Reinhardt shook his head.
There was no expression on his face.
"I am reshaping them."
"I am granting them true, eternal strength."
His gaze passed over the roaring trainees and looked toward the distant horizon.
There, brand-new warships were being built at an accelerated pace in the shipyards.
And on the blueprints of the warships, an unfamiliar emblem emitting the scent of metal and sacred oil appeared in this world for the first time.
An emblem of a skull surrounded by a gear.
The Commissar system was only the beginning.
It would inject a soul of iron into this army.
And he would clothe this army in an indestructible suit of iron armor.
The transformation of the Imperium had only just begun.