Chapter 205: The End |
Calgar ultimately found himself lying in the medical bay of the Chapter flagship, the Samothrace, as he was transported back to Macragge.
The Chapter Master's extraordinary performance during the Hive War had caused the Hive Mind to mark him as a high-threat target that had to be eliminated.
High above, the Tyranid space fleet was being practically annihilated by blistering Imperial firepower. Down on the ground, however...
The Tyranid Swarm, which had previously advanced in an orderly tide, suddenly plunged into chaos due to the loss of a unified command. Their previously flexible tactical coordination completely collapsed, leaving behind only a savage hunger driven by pure instinct.
Unable to immediately deal with those four far more troublesome individuals, the Hive Mind ultimately pooled the last remaining resources on the world of Bolmina. It incubated a Norn Assimilator to launch a suicidal assault on Calgar, seeking to eliminate this major threat once and for all.
Had Titus not acted in time, relying on neural shredder weapons to destroy the Norn Assimilator's psychic receiving organs, the Hive Mind's control over the beast would never have weakened. This critical intervention allowed him to assist Tigurius in expelling the Hive Mind's presence from the killer's body entirely.
Otherwise, Calgar's injuries would have been far more severe than simply losing two of his hearts.
By the time Calgar finally awoke from his coma, he was already en route back to Macragge. The war had long since entered its final cleanup phase.
"Calgar is just incredible. The legendary unkillable king."
"If I remember correctly, right before we got here, didn't he end up in intensive care after a one-on-one with a Hive Tyrant cost him a heart?"
He turned his head to look at Karna, who was lazily slouched in a plush chair by the porthole.
"Yeah," Karna agreed.
Karna leisurely chewed on a straw, sipping a local Ultramar specialty—a Macragge coconut.
He had been taking it easy ever since they entered the Segmentum Ultima. After all, the Tyranid Swarm had swept through most of the region, leaving it completely desolate. There was barely anyone left to preach to.
Of course, he felt absolutely no pressure preaching on Guilliman's turf.
After all, the doctrines of the Church of Dawn had been meticulously revised by the quartet based on their own modern values. It was undeniably more advanced than the Imperial Cult, which still clung to barbaric rituals of human sacrifice.
After all, the Regent surely wouldn't want to wake up from his long slumber only to see feathered 'little angels' flapping around everywhere, right?
Swish.
A stack of documents was slid in front of Romulus.
"The Explorer Fleet hasn't detected any Hive Fleet activity for three weeks now," Arthur stated, bringing up a Star Map projection and highlighting several dead-quiet reconnaissance zones.
The three of them were currently gathered around Romulus.
Rameses was watching with keen interest as Vashtorr fiercely battled the Tyranid Swarm to salvage his industrial facilities.
Karna was slacking off. His gaze was completely unfocused as he mentally organized his lesson plans for future classes.
Arthur, meanwhile, was actively assisting Romulus with military affairs.
He leaned forward slightly, the shadows casting sharp contours along his high nose. He pointed toward a blinking coordinate on the edge of the Sector.
"Should we expand the reconnaissance perimeter?"
"Let the local Space Marine Chapters secure their defensive lines first," Romulus replied.
Romulus pressed the gold-plated nib of his pen against the document, stamping it with an aquila seal of approval. The pen scratched against the thick paper with a soft rustle.
"Overextending now will only leave us vulnerable. Once the various Sectors have regained their strength, we can leave the expansion efforts to Calgar."
"Understood."
Arthur nodded. Seeing Romulus slide a gilded invitation out from the mountainous pile of paperwork, he couldn't help but ask a question.
"Are we heading back next?"
"Of course," Romulus smiled.
Romulus chuckled lightly and flicked the edge of the invitation. The crisp snap of the thick Parchment echoed softly in the room.
"They've been rushing us for quite a while now. They've certainly shown their sincerity—they haven't even gotten angry after being left hanging for this long."
"Alright then."
Arthur gave a brief response and turned to walk toward the Holographic Projection console.
Outside the porthole, the vast array of the Imperial fleet spread out across The Void like a rushing torrent of Steel—
The core strength of the Imperial Navy from several Sectors, the armed forces of the Imperial Cult spanning dozens of Space Marine Chapters and several Orders, along with an unquantifiable number of Imperial Guardsmen.
A faction capable of resisting an Imperial armada of this magnitude simply did not exist in the current Galaxy.
The Tyranid Swarm was undeniably powerful. They possessed massive Biomass fleets, rapidly evolving combat units, and a terrifyingly unified collective will. But ultimately, these vanguard fleets from beyond the stars had their limits.
The moment a Capital Ship fleet boasting two Gloriana-class battleships arrived in this Sector, the balance of power shifted entirely.
Massive Macro-cannons and searing Lances obliterated the Tyranid bioships that had survived the chaotic baptism of the Warp Rifts. Freed from any rear-guard concerns, the Adeptus Astartes were deployed directly onto the Planets, ruthlessly slaughtering every enemy in sight.
Romulus did not relax his vigilance. The Mobile Fleet, composed of Black Templars and the Explorer Fleet, continuously patrolled the surrounding Sectors. They leveraged the sheer, crushing mass of the Imperium to grind the final remnants of the Hive threat into dust.
Reconnaissance fleets maintained around-the-clock operations. Landing forces conducted exhaustive sweeps of suspicious asteroid belts, gas giant Ring Systems, and even abandoned space stations across every system, ensuring absolutely no trace of Genestealer contamination was left behind.
This grueling cleanup operation ultimately dragged on for over four months.
Hive Fleet Behemoth was finally annihilated. Aside from a few scattered remnants drifting in deep Space—too small for the Imperium's current augur arrays to detect—this first massive Xenos invasion of the Galaxy had been entirely eradicated.
Romulus gazed steadily at the Holographic Projection before him. The augur array was seamlessly displaying all the reclaimed Planets within the Sector.
Beside each hovering, luminescent Planet, a detailed summary displayed crucial information: governing bodies, resource reserves, defense threat levels, and recovery progress.
His gaze swept across the Planets marked as "Ultramarines Garrisoned," and a satisfied smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
These Adeptus Astartes Chapters, all sharing the Ultramarines lineage, were breathing new life into every world they occupied.
Not only were they rebuilding planetary defense systems, but they were also actively assisting local governments in restoring civil order. They trained Planetary Defense Forces, repaired vital infrastructure, and purged the lingering filth of the Tyranid Swarm.
This systematic, large-scale reconstruction effort was the very core of the civil service system Guilliman had designed for the Adeptus Astartes thousands of years ago.
"This is perfect."
Romulus muttered quietly to himself.
There couldn't possibly be a better outcome than this.
The sight before him made him imagine another possible future—the nightmarish timeline that Guilliman had originally been forced to endure.
Chaos warbands running rampant through the heartland of Ultramar. The Tyranid Hive Fleet devouring the Sotha system and relentlessly advancing toward Talsar. The T'au expansion fleets stirring restlessly along the northern borders. Over a dozen Ultramarines successor Space Marine Chapters either completely wiped out or teetering on the brink of annihilation. The massive resurgence of Necrons around Orpheus Prime, indiscriminately butchering all Organisms across the surrounding Sectors.
But now, none of that would ever come to pass.
The prematurely awakened Primarch would not have to face such a bleak, desperate reality. The reclaimed Sectors were forming a solid, layered defensive depth. Highly efficient coordination protocols had been established between the various Space Marine Chapters, and the border early-warning systems had been completely overhauled and upgraded.
When a true crisis eventually struck, Ultramar would no longer be an isolated, helpless island. It would stand as a fully integrated, mutually supporting defensive bastion.
Although it was inevitable that certain factions would secretly accuse him of being overly ambitious, he didn't care. Let them talk.
"Lord Romulus, the final batch of reconnaissance reports has been thoroughly verified."
An Astropathic Communication from Supreme Grand Marshal Ledodes echoed in his mind.
"All primary Hive Mind command nodes have been completely purged."
The Expeditionary Fleet had spent nearly three grueling years pacifying the entire eastern expanse of Ultramar. Hundreds of Planets had been severely devastated, and thousands more had been dragged into the ravages of war. Populations had plummeted, and local economies were left in absolute ruins.
However, Romulus had seized this chaotic opportunity to initiate change. He had successfully reintegrated these Planets—many of which had been disconnected from Greater Ultramar for nearly ten millennia—back into the centralized Macragge system.
Yet, the staggering loss of human life remained a bitter pill to swallow. Staring at the cold, lifeless casualty statistics scrolling across the Planet profiles, Romulus couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.
Ultimately, he pushed those grim thoughts aside. Right now, the most important thing was to savor the hard-won joy of victory.
——
The Macragge's Honour, escorted by two other Gloriana-class battleships, slowly sailed into the homeworld's orbit amidst the radiant morning light of their triumphant return.
Exactly forty-eight hours after confirming the annihilation of the Tyranid Swarm's main force, the massive Gloriana-class battleship carrying the Primarch finally completed its sacred mission. It safely delivered Guilliman, still slumbering within his stasis field, back to the inner Sanctum of the Hera Fortress on Macragge.
Looking down from low orbit, the entire Planet appeared as if it were draped in flowing golden silk.
It was an endless ocean of banners lining both sides of every major thoroughfare. Millions of Ultramar eagle flags undulated gracefully in the gentle breeze.
On the newly constructed Victory Square in front of the Hera Fortress, massive formations of elite warriors from the various Space Marine Chapters stood in rigid, immaculate ranks. Their master-crafted power armor gleamed brilliantly under the midday sun, shining with a dazzling, heroic luster.
Delegations from three hundred reclaimed worlds stood proudly on specially constructed viewing platforms, holding aloft the crystalline emblems of their respective Planets.
Columns of Leman Russ tanks, heavily adorned with laurel wreaths and golden broom flowers, formed imposing wedge formations down the grand avenues. Their massive gun barrels, still reeking of bitter cordite, were wrapped in fresh olive branches hand-picked by the citizens of Macragge.
The moment the ramps of the landing craft slowly lowered at the bustling spaceport, thirteen colossal defense platforms simultaneously fired their victory salutes. The deafening, thunderous roar shattered the clouds high above.
The deep, resonant chime of Macragge's Great Bronze Bell reverberated through the skies over the capital city. It intertwined perfectly with the roaring cheers of the millions-strong crowd, creating an earth-shattering symphony of triumph.
As the Primarchs confidently strode down the boarding ramp, they were instantly engulfed in a swirling storm of golden confetti and vibrant flower petals.
Standing quietly in the shadows alongside Rameses, Arthur reached out and caught a drifting golden petal. He watched in silence as it trembled gently in the palm of his hand.
In the center of Victory Square, erected at the explicit request of the Primarchs, stood a towering, newly unveiled memorial. The Inscription carved into the polished obsidian obelisk shone brilliantly beneath the blazing midday sun:
"In memory of all who sacrificed their lives to defend Ultramar. Your names shall live on as long as Ultramar endures."
"741-748.M41"
The base of the imposing obelisk was surrounded by a shifting array of Holographic Projections. The solemn faces of countless fallen soldiers flickered in and out of view, silently watching over the living.
Romulus stared intently at the glowing images. He saw the weathered faces of gray-haired Guardsmen veterans, the youthful innocence of fresh New Recruits, and the towering, battered forms of Adeptus Astartes in ruined power armor.
A warm breeze swept across the sprawling square, carrying with it a flurry of discarded golden confetti. From a distance, the pure, crystalline voices of a children's choir singing hymns of praise echoed softly through the air.
Romulus took a deep breath, filling his lungs with air that carried the mingled scents of sweet flowers and bitter cordite. He slowly closed his eyes.
The war was finally over.
For now.