novelnext Chapter 113: Formal Takeover
Chapter 113: Formal Takeover
The governor's office on Caron II was covered in dust.
The chaos of Jeter's escape was still vivid in my mind; documents were scattered all over the floor, and spilled red wine stains remained on the expensive carpet.
Luo Ning sat in the chair that once belonged to the deserter governor and connected to the encrypted communications of the sector command.
The moment the communication was connected, Commander-in-Chief Mason's face appeared on the screen.
His eyes, which were originally bloodshot and exhausted, widened suddenly the moment he saw Luo Ning.
"Luo Ning? You...where are you now? I'm not seeing things, am I?" His voice trembled with disbelief.
Luo Ning bowed slightly, his tone calm yet carrying immense weight:
"Reporting to Commander Mason, the Vatos VII planetary defense forces have completed their mission and recovered Calon II."
Nearly 200,000 of the Greenskins' main force were annihilated, and 81 Greenskin leaders were killed. The enemy's war boss, Rockbreaker Bloodaxe, and his 20 bodyguard big guys were all killed.
I will send you a detailed battle report and damage list later.
Upon hearing Ronin's words, Mason froze completely.
He seemed to lose all strength, slumping back in his chair, covering his face with his hands, his shoulders trembling slightly. A full half-minute passed before he slowly raised his head, his eyes still filled with shock.
"How many men did you take with you? What are the casualties...?"
Luo Ning's expression instantly turned extremely grave. He looked at Mason on the screen and said, word by word:
"At the start, there were 100,000 regular troops and 100,000 reserves."
Thirty thousand were killed or went missing, more than fifty thousand were seriously wounded and on the verge of death, and more than forty thousand were lightly wounded. The entire army suffered more than half its losses, and the armored forces were almost completely wiped out.
On the state church side, five fighting nuns were killed, four were paralyzed for life, and the remaining eleven were all seriously injured.
The Mechanicus's most treasured ancient mech, the Fist of Omnesia, sacrificed its mech soul to slay the war's leader and remains dormant to this day.
He bowed deeply, his voice hoarse:
"My lord, the people of Vatos VII paid a bloody price. May the Empire and the Sector remember our sacrifice."
Mason, on the other side of the screen, fell completely silent.
He knew all too well what this meant.
The intelligence report stated 100,000 green-skinned soldiers, but this number has now increased to 200,
This is not simply a doubling of quantity; two hundred thousand WAAAGH! energy levels are enough to give rise to a war boss that is so powerful as to defy common sense.
Ronin, with only a planetary defense force and a small number of armored vehicles, actually won this battle that he was destined to lose.
This is simply a miracle.
Seeing that Mason was still in a daze, Ronning spoke up at the right moment, revealing his true purpose:
"Commander-in-Chief, Governor Jet of Calon II has deserted his post, abandoning millions of people. Now the planet is leaderless."
On behalf of Governor Karl, I formally request the sector to grant interplanetary wartime trusteeship of Calon II, with full authority over the planet's defense, reconstruction, and tithe collection.
Mason slowly raised his head, looked at Ronin, and a knowing, all-knowing smile appeared on his face.
He nodded, his tone complex:
"Have Carl send me a formal report. What wartime trusteeship? There's no need for these formalities."
You paid such a high price to recover Charon II and save the entire sector.
If the Orks gain a foothold here, we'll be attacked from both sides on the front lines, and the entire Valtok sector will fall completely. You are the heroes of the entire sector.
His expression suddenly turned extremely serious, and his eyes stared sharply at Luo Ning:
"Ronin, I know you have ambition. But I can also see that you are a capable person, a million times better than that good-for-nothing Jet."
"Charon II, I'm giving it to you. But remember this: you are a citizen of the Empire, a citizen of the Sector. Don't have any improper thoughts."
Ronin bowed deeply. Commander Mason was smarter than he had imagined, and he enjoyed dealing with intelligent people, yet his tone was incredibly sincere:
"Commander-in-Chief, please rest assured that everything Luo Ning has done is for the better service of the Empire and to guard the Empire's borders for the Star Sector."
Mason stared at him for a long time, as if trying to see through the screen into his heart. In the end, he shook his head helplessly.
"The judges have already set off and will be there in about three days, specifically to arrest that coward Jett. Whether you are loyal or not is not for me to decide, but for the judges. You'd better watch yourself."
The communication was cut off as soon as he finished speaking.
Luo Ning looked at the black screen and smiled helplessly.
The trial will eventually have to begin.
But it doesn't matter. As long as he has troops, popular support, and the support of the state religion and the Mechanicus, he saved the entire sector and ensured that the tithes would be paid normally in the future.
Even the court couldn't say a word against him, and more importantly, he had a powerful backer in the court.
He stepped out of the communications room and slowly announced the news to the crowd waiting outside.
Cheers instantly resounded throughout the entire governor's mansion.
The next morning, in the central square of the second hive city of Calon.
Three thousand Vatos VII soldiers formed a neat honor guard, their black armor gleaming coldly in the dim light.
The square was packed with people: the surviving nobles stood at the front, Fisher led the remnants of Caron II, and the local state priests and the Mechanicus stood on the side.
More often, however, were ordinary workers and the poor, crowding into every corner of the square, their eyes filled with gratitude and reverence.
Bishop Moraes and Victor stood side by side, with monks from the State Church and priests from the Mechanicus behind them.
Amidst the chanting of hymns, Bishop Moraes, holding an imperial icon, conducted a grand purification ceremony for this war-torn city.
Holy water was sprinkled across the scorched ground, and the holy flag was raised slowly in the center of the square.
After the ceremony, Bishop Moraes turned to the entire assembly and announced loudly:
"In the name of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Valtok, I hereby bear witness:"
With the approval of the Sector Command and authorized by Governor Karl of Vatos VII, Lord Ronin will temporarily assume all responsibilities for the affairs of Caron II until the Empire appoints a new governor.
Victor stepped forward, the red light from his optical prosthetic eye sweeping across the room, and added in a cold, clear voice:
"The Valtok Star District of the Mechanical Church approves this appointment."
The dual endorsement of the state church and the mechanical church gave this takeover undeniable legitimacy.
Luo Ning walked up to the high platform and looked down at the thousands of people below.
The nobles harbored their own ulterior motives but dared not voice any dissent; the soldiers were resolute in their devotion and vowed to follow to the death; and the common people responded to their savior with the most enthusiastic cheers.
This was the man who, when they were abandoned by the Empire and betrayed by the Governor, led an army across the stars and saved their lives.
In the hearts of the people of Calon II, Ronin was no longer just a temporary person in charge of managing the planet on behalf of the governor; he was their only faith.