PFC Chapter 697 Diplomacy and Farce
Chapter 697 Diplomacy and Farce
Chapter 697 Diplomacy and Farce
Terra, the slums of Eternal City.
Many people gathered at the top of the hive buildings. The spires, roofs, balconies, tall signal towers, any place where they could stand was full of people. They held on to everything they could cling to, all with their chins raised, looking up at the "moon" hanging high in the night sky.
No screaming, no crying, just silence.
All eyes were fixed on the Battle Moon, and those of the Emperor's most devout subjects had already boarded the merchant fleet to reach the Battle Moon, but none could have anticipated this expedition.
as well as……
Everyone who watched saw the end of the expedition. The movement of the mountains on the moon's surface could be seen from Terra, and it looked like it closed its eyes and blinked, as if it was taunting its prey mercilessly.
It’s gone. The Jihad Expeditionary Force is gone.
Fu Qinghai did not look at this scene. Even if he was not a prophet, he knew what would happen in the sky. When the moving mountains of the battle moon swallowed up the peasant crusaders, he had already led his men back to the battleship Suzheng.
……
Terra, palace, ventricle.
Wangerich stood alone in the small room, and saw the situation through the window pane. The other high lords were still in meeting. During the holy war, they stayed in the council hall, closely waiting for good news.
However, the expedition was not as heroic as they had expected, and the war lasted less than a day.
Wangerich kept telling himself that he had done nothing to help Tur's folly, but he was wrong. He felt a sense of guilt squeezing his heart mercilessly, and he fell into deep thought, imagining himself standing on the surface of the battle moon, crushed in the collision of mountains.
"How could they be so... so..."
The Grand Master of the Assassin's Court clenched his hands.
Finally, he sighed and left the ventricle silently.
When Wangorich walked into the parliament hall, it was completely silent. The parliament hall was packed like when the holy war began, and the participants sat in their seats in a daze. There were more than 100,000 imperial servants here, but it was as if there was no one there.
Some subtle sobbing could be heard, but the cries were scattered and weak, which made the silence seem even more severe.
The silence extended to the podium where Yuskina Tull had stood throughout the expedition, her figure standing taller as news of the Crusade's successful landing on Battle Moon came, the leader of the merchant fleet moving with gusto. Now she flinched, her pale face seeming to disappear beneath her collar.
Wangerich thought about that moment.
When the leader of the merchant ships and the Pope of the State Religion gave speeches outside the palace, he considered assassinating the two men, as well as the high lords who chose to support their proposals, but after weighing the pros and cons, he finally did not do it.
Now he suddenly felt some regret.
Wangoric glanced at all the Supreme Lords one by one. Tur and her allies were silent. Forge Master Kubik looked at the screen calmly, and occasionally made a binary whisper, as if he was calculating something.
Yes, the Forge Master is here.
At this critical moment, the Lord of Mars put aside his busy research and personally came to the Terra Palace. It was a little surprising that the Forge Commander did not show any fear or surprise on his face, but looked indifferent, as if he came to Terra just to observe the Battle Moon up close.
Wangerich narrowed his eyes slightly.
Not long ago, he had placed an assassin team on Mars, a special team consisting of a Vindicare assassin, two Callidus assassins, and three Vanus assassins, called the "Red Sanctuary". Such a luxurious combination could assassinate most targets in the galaxy, but such a team lost contact on Mars some time ago.
Wangorich was certain that they must have investigated something, and then were hunted down by the Mechanicus, resulting in the loss of contact. The Forge Lord must be hiding some unspeakable secret, and Mars and Terra might not be of the same mind.
Wangorich even knew that the Inquisition was also secretly investigating Mars, but the level of the Inquisitors under Wienand was so low that they were found and killed by the Sikarian Rust Trackers and Sikarian Weapon Infiltrators before they even began their investigation.
Being suspected by both the Inquisition and the Assassin's Court at the same time, the suspicion on the Forge Commander is extremely high.
The display screen next to Imperial Commander Udo lit up.
"Admiral Lanson, my lord."
A servant revealed the identity of the person.
"Connect."
Udo said, sitting in the middle of the seat.
Lan Song's holographic projection stabilized.
"We received a signal that a ship has left the Ork Battle Moon and is in orbit around Terra."
Lan Song looked at everyone and spoke.
"Has the attack finally begun?"
asked Williot, the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guard.
"No, this is a separate ship. It is a ship from Terra. We can identify its keel number code. It is a small merchant ship named 'Militant Fire'."
Lan Song said.
"So what do you suggest, High Lord Admiral?"
Wangorich interrupted and asked.
"Let it down, this can't be an invasion."
Lan Song expressed his opinion.
"What is it, then?"
Minister of the Interior Ekas asked, with a hint of tears in his voice. It was obvious that some of the quiet sobs Wangerich had heard just now came from him.
what is that?
No one could answer his question, and all the members in the parliament hall had this question in their minds. The news of a merchant ship approaching was spreading rapidly throughout the capital. Not only the palace, but all sensor arrays on the surface could see the ship and track its navigation path.
Ekas's question enlightened Meslin, and a flash of inspiration seemed to pass through the face of the Pope of the State Church. He suddenly stood up, turned to face all the members in the hall, and began to speak:
"What is that? What is that? What is that?"
Meslin first raised this question, but he didn't give an answer. The Orks never attacked, and the merchant ship couldn't be some kind of extermination weapon because it was too small. So what was the significance of its arrival?
"Perhaps, we are witnessing a miracle. Perhaps, by the grace of the Lord of Mankind, this sacred vessel has been saved from our enemies."
The Pope of the State Church opened his arms and spoke softly:
"What is this? It's a revelation!"
Some were skeptical, while others suddenly realized what was going on. However, as the Pope continued to preach, the people's sad sobs and panicked discussions gradually turned into orderly prayers. As if they were called by something, the crowd left their seats and crowded around the Pope. Faith was the last refuge. People did not really regard this merchant ship as hope, but as some kind of revelation, praying that the Emperor could bring hope.
Inside the entire parliament hall.
Meslin led the parliamentarians in chanting.
Wangerich just looked at them coldly.
His eyes were undisguised as if he was looking at a bunch of idiots.
Yuskina's moment of glory has passed. With the failure of the holy war, the power map of the high lords has changed again, and Meslin soon took over the baton. The means are eye-catching, but useless - how long does the Pope of the State Church think the greenskins will let him enjoy his current position?
Meslin's sermon was over.
People calmed down again.
He sat down slowly, lowered his head and said nothing.
Wangerich stood up and walked towards the Pope. He stood in front of him, put his hands on the table and asked in a low voice:
"What would you do if there was no miracle on that ship?"
Meslin raised his head, his expression was very calm, with a contradictory feeling of being both pious and cunning:
"Then we'll need our spiritual strength even more."
Wangoliqi looked up at the sky in silence.
Then he turned to look at Williot:
"So the Imperial Guard also puts their hope in God? Puts all their hope on a so-called 'miracle'?"
"Lucifer's Black Guard will meet the ship."
The Imperial Guard's commander-in-chief replied.
"But you're not going?"
“My place is here.”
Williot did not stir in his seat.
Haha, do you think the orcs will put a big bomb in that merchant ship and blow you to pieces when you come to greet them? Wangoliqi thought sarcastically in his heart.
What's the point of blowing you up for the orcs? Who do you think you are? What do you think you are for? Blowing up everyone here won't change the outcome of this war.
Wangerich turned and left the council hall.
This hall had served as the headquarters and base camp of the War Council during the Great Crusade, when Horus was still called the Warmaster. However, he did not see anything positive here, only a house that was about to be burned down and the rotten furniture in the house waiting to be replaced.
……
Terra, Lionsgate Airport.
When Wangorichi arrived at the airport, the small merchant ship had already stopped at the berth, and many Lucifer Black Guards wearing black armor surrounded the berth. The spaceship was quiet for a few minutes, and the port door slowly rose, and the gangway was lowered from above. The muzzles of the Lucifer Black Guards were pointed at the dark door.
The first figure appeared to be a human, richly dressed but in tatters. His face was gray with fatigue and fear, and he raised his arms above his head:
"My name is Leander Narcissus, sir. Please do not order the shots to be fired. No one on board is armed."
Wangorich stood beside the commander of Lucifer's Black Guard.
"What's your name?"
"Mercado, Grand Master."
"I know the situation is tense, and so is your army. But at this juncture, firing without hesitation is our last resort. Do you agree?"
His voice was calm and his tone was gentle.
Mercado nodded.
"Put away your weapons."
The commander of the Lucifer Black Guards shouted:
“But always be vigilant.”
"You can come down now."
Wangorichi said to Narcissus.
Narcissus lowered his arms and slowly walked down the gangway.
Wangerich stepped forward and steadied him.
"You escaped from the Battle Moon?"
The Grand Master of the Assassin's Court asked the question that concerned him the most.
"Do not."
Narcissus turned back to look at the hatch:
"They wish to be escorted to the Council of High Lords."
Wangorich looked up, following his gaze. He almost asked who "they" were, but he already knew the answer - three Orks appeared, walked down the steps, and then stood on the landing platform in front of the spaceship berth.
The Grand Master of the Assassin's Court almost drew his gun.
But he suppressed his instinctive reaction.
At the same time, don't forget to remind the Black Guards:
"Hold your firepower!"
Wangoliqi looked at the orcs in front of him. The three orcs were all very tall. The first two were a head taller than him, and the third was a whole circle bigger than the first two. They should be subordinates. The thick leather was decorated with the barbaric symbols of the orc clan. This alone was surprising - these clothes seemed more like robes than armor.
However, what shocked Wangorich the most was not the clothes they wore, but what the orcs did not have.
They had no weapons.
The leading greenskin held an iron staff in his hand, more than two meters long, with a cluster of skulls around the waist of the iron staff, some of which belonged to humans, some to the Eldar, and many species that Wangorich didn't recognize at all. These skulls were covered with steel, with their jaws tightly closed, and the teeth of different species were strung on a circle of wire. At the top of the iron staff was an orc's face, surrounded by skulls of different species, with its mouth wide open and roaring madly.
However, this terrifyingly shaped iron rod is not a weapon, but seems to be... a work of art?
Orcs? Art?
How are these two things connected?
The orcs stared at Wangorichi firmly.
Wangorich only had to turn his head and nod to the commander of the Lucifer Black Guard, and the three orcs would be shot dead.
But he knew what this choice would bring.
"Come with me."
Finally he said to Narcissus.
The Grand Master of the Assassin's Court led three orcs to the Imperial Senate Hall, escorted by the Black Guards. Wangorich heard the footsteps of the orcs behind him, and on the marble of Terra, the alien boots beat out the humiliating beat of the human empire.
"Tell me what they are."
Wangorichi asked Narcissus.
The merchant whispered something terrible:
“They are diplomats.”
"This is impossible!"
"I also know that this is impossible."
So is this true?
Wangerich felt his heart grow colder.
When they arrived at the council hall, there was a gasp, followed by angry whispers. Udo stood up from his seat and pointed at Narcissus:
“What have you brought to this sacred place?”
His roar was like thunder.
However, his roars and shouts did not threaten anyone, he was just an empty shell.
Narcissus did not flinch. The merchant did not even look at the Imperial commander-in-chief. His eyes were empty and lifeless. He was staring at something more terrifying than the nobles or the orcs. Perhaps it was a recent experience, or a prospect for the near future.
"They are diplomats, envoys."
Wangorich said as he took the podium.
The three orcs remained where they were, staring at the nobles with their bulging yellow eyes that were as sunken as small beans.
"Are you their translator?"
Wangerich turned to ask Narcissus, he didn't know how this man knew the language of the aliens.
Narcissus looked up.
He shook his head painfully.
“No need for translation.”
The leading orc suddenly spoke:
"I asked you to surrender, and you surrendered. It's that simple."
Speaks High Gothic fluently.
There are no accents or grammatical errors.
……
Silence, silence fell in the parliament hall.
The only response the Council Hall could make to the orcs' simple words was silence. The earth did not tremble, and the high walls had not yet collapsed. But in Wangorich's opinion, neither of these was as good as the few words spoken by the orcs. The Empire's inherent perception of the orcs was wrong. We may never have understood this race. The blow brought by these greenskin diplomats was no less than the tragic end of the Peasant Crusade.
"The beast has seized upon your heart."
The orc ambassador stretched out his fingers to make a grasping gesture:
"Struggle, and it will tear you apart. Surrender, and you will survive."
The silence continued.
"so?"
The orc ambassador glanced around the hall:
"Surrender or die. Choose."
A single stone caused a thousand ripples. The silence was completely drowned out by the subsequent sound waves, screams, curses, loud wails, and desperate prayers to the God-Emperor. Wangorich even heard blasphemous words that seemed to be begging for forgiveness from the orcs.
The high lords also began to fight among themselves.
Meslin pointed the finger at Yuskina:
"Look what you have done! You have brought desecration upon this sacred place! Holy Terra has been defiled!"
the Pope of the State Church screamed in accusation.
"I haven't heard you question me before."
Yuskina immediately retorted:
"You said this ship would bring the Emperor's revelation, but look what it brought. What a irony!"
Ekas, Gibran, Sak and Anwaze surrounded Williot, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guard.
"Why are you still silent?"
Gibran's voice was hysterical and hoarse:
"Give the order quickly! Kill those abominations!"
"Your soldiers far outnumber those damn xenos!"
Sack's voice wasn't much better:
"They're not even armed!"
"But what does this mean?"
Williot asked, spreading his hands.
If the Empire's actions were so barbaric that even the orcs pale in comparison, then this self-inflicted moral evil would be an indelible shame for the Empire - the orcs were a civilized society, while the Empire belonged to a barbaric tribe, eroding the glory of humanity like a rotten abscess deeply rooted within the Empire.
Wangoliqi thought silently in his heart.
However, Sack obviously didn't care about any of this.
"Kill them!"
The abbot of Xingju Court screamed:
"Kill them quickly!"
The orc ambassador grinned at him.
The contempt was palpable:
"Bad plan, little bugger."
Sack was frightened. He trembled and returned to his seat. The Lucifer Black Guards kept their dark guns aimed at the orcs. Every soldier's expression was filled with tension and fear, but they did not fire. Williot raised a hand to ensure that such a stupid thing would not happen.
Udo used roaring to cover up his cowardice.
"We will never surrender!"
He shouted to the orc ambassador:
"We are going to exterminate this filthy race of yours. Your fate has been sealed by coming here. You have already..."
Udo said, trying to switch to a harsher curse.
"You will regret this..."
He continued, but stopped short when he realized he was being stared at by the orc ambassador.
"I won't! We won't! And you never can!"
His cursing became increasingly incoherent.
How pitiful he is… thought Wangerich.
Kubik had walked to the edge of the podium without knowing when. He paced back and forth in front of the orcs, leaning forward and extending his visual sensor lens towards the three aliens. He spoke to himself quickly in binary mixed with Gothic language:
"It's not a specific clan. Targeted evolution is indeed a key trait of the Orcs. Diplomatic type? Diplomatic species? This classification may be closer. It is not an acquired behavior. Is the diplomatic method a genetic trait? It has never been seen before. We need to collect specimens. This direction has great potential. If the Orcs can develop in this way and can evolve specifically according to needs, then in the end they..."
The excitement of the Forging Commander was beyond words.
The entire parliament hall was still in chaos.
The two shorter greenskins were amused, and they grinned widely. The orc ambassador standing beside them did not laugh, but Wangoliqi would rather it laugh, because the Grand Master of the Assassin Court did not want to believe that he saw the contempt on the orc ambassador's face...
Even, it seems, see a glimmer of mercy?
"Dong dong."
The orc thumped the floor with his iron staff.
All the councillors and high lords fell silent.
"It's no use."
The orc ambassador said:
"It's worse than snoring."
It looked at its companions:
"Don't reason with humans. Destroy them, kill them, eat them... whatever. In any case, don't try to make humans think. You can't do it."
The orc ambassador shrugged.
Turning to face the High Lords:
"last chance."
The Twelve were speechless.
The orc ambassador looked at them deeply.
Then he nodded and said calmly:
"So, die."
It threw the iron rod to the ground with great force:
"That's it."
The three orcs turned and left the council hall.
And behind them, silence fell again.
This was a deep and painful wound, but it did not hurt the human empire. After a moment of silence, the high lords once again began to attack each other. Wangorichi could not remember how many times this had happened. The accusations and curses poured out of the wound like blood.
We deserved it, Wangorich thought.
The enormous, deadly, almost infinite stupidity of mankind filled and shook the entire council hall, weighing down his soul with the weight of a collapsed civilization.
We deserve it, he repeated in his mind.
He didn't know how long he stood there, his eyes were empty and his ears were drowned by the sound of despair.
When he looked up, the orc was gone.
He can't do anything here.
There is nothing anyone can do here.
…………