Just as Soshiyang was intensively preparing for the decisive battle, two mysterious visitors distracted his attention, forcing him to put down his work temporarily.
The two mysterious guests actually appeared at different times. The first one appeared two years ago on a mysterious, scarred cruiser near the pale star on the edge of the maelstrom, because it brought the empire with it.
The local defenders only sent a signal to the Astartes Chapter's identification code, but the other party did not respond. Since Malakin had been transferred to the Badab sector, the matter was resolved without anyone taking charge.
So it was put on hold.
It wasn't until recently that the mysterious cruiser suddenly appeared near the Kara system. It was only then that its keel code was captured by the nearby Mechanicus detection array and quickly sent to Soshyan, because it belonged to -
Mantis warrior.
Metellus, the second captain and champion of the Mantis Warriors, was also the first person who did not regard the Mantis Warriors' genetic curse "Praying Mantis" as a flaw, but instead exploited its tactical value. His initiative was to form a team entirely composed of "
A special force formed by the "Praying Mantises" was named the Praying Mantis, but it was already the end of the Badab War and the plan ultimately failed to materialize.
Metellus was also the first among the Mantis Warriors command to realize that Huron had completely betrayed the Empire. Unfortunately, he was also the only one. After his persuasion failed, he led his ship to torture the Soul and the Mantis Warriors.
The Second Company tracked Huron alone into the depths of the Maelstrom, never to return, and there was no news. Subsequent searches by the Mantis Warriors Chapter failed to find their missing Second Company Commander.
Unexpectedly, he actually appeared by himself again!
After learning that it was the cruiser of the Mantis Warriors, Soshyan immediately sent a message to the other party to disarm and dock at the orbital station on the edge of the Kara system. At the same time, he took the Mantis Warriors headquarters to contact the other party.
When he arrived at the orbital station, the only people waiting for him were a soldier covered in scars and 23 exhausted veterans, whose armor was pieced together like beggars.
Soshyan did not rush to talk to the other party directly, but let the Mantis Warrior communicate internally first. Presumably they had a lot to say between them.
This wait lasted all day.
After almost thirty hours, Soshyan finally received the news that the other party wanted to meet him.
"I'm sorry, Supreme Lord Commander Soshyan Alexei, for not reporting to you immediately."
In the large reception hall of the Eternal Loyalty, Soshiyang looked at the company commander who had put on a newer power armor and was sitting on the throne in ceremonial armor. There was a Terminator standing on both sides of the ship. Soshiyang smiled and waved his hand.
"It doesn't matter. I know that Captain Metellus has been away from the battle group for a long time, and you must re-understand many things."
Captain Metellus is tall and has broad shoulders. His naturally strong body is highlighted by his armor. Two slender and slightly curved scimitars are crossed on the iron chain buckle behind his waist, and his unfinished body is
Apart from the scars and two golden service spikes on his helmeted face, the most impressive thing is his pair of green eyes and his almost statue-like calm and dim temperament.
His eyes are very, very special, with rare double pupils. Perhaps because of this, he has some special ability that can turn the mantis warrior's trance-like vision into a powerful weapon.
According to other Mantis Warrior commanders, the Maelstrom often held competitions between warbands in the past, and Metellus was the undefeated champion for hundreds of years before Huron launched his rebellion. In other words, it can be said that the Great Maelstrom was
One of the strongest men in the Whirlpool Alliance, nicknamed Knife Mantis.
After hearing Soshyan's words, Metellus sighed.
"I didn't expect that things would develop like this in the end. Neo would pull him. Alas."
Neotra was the chapter leader who was sentenced to life imprisonment. Hearing this, Soshiyang asked curiously:
"Speaking of which, it seems that you and Neotra had a disagreement at first, and now you seem to feel regretful?"
"Neotra is not a traitor. His loyalty to the Empire and the Emperor is unquestionable. He is just too stubborn."
Soshyan smiled slightly.
"Stubbornness, this seems to be a common problem among most space warriors, but if you are just stubborn, you may not get to this point."
Metellus was silent for a moment, and finally told the inside story.
"After Huron broke with the Empire, Neotra's obsession with war became more and more serious, which began to affect his judgment and thinking. I have been trying to help him, but the heavy pressure of the war made it difficult for him to calm down."
Soshiyang nodded slightly.
"I see, what happened then? Why did you suddenly go after Huron?"
"It's a long story."
It turned out that he did not discover the nature of the Huron rebellion very early. This outstanding company commander only discovered the problem before the Star Phantom finally broke through the defenses around Badab and sent a report to Neoterra.
When the Star Phantom's drop pod crashed into the Palace of Thorns, Metellus knew that Huron's black heart had been filled with Chaos filth. At the same time, Neotra was still holding on desperately on his battle barge.
Participating in the final battle launched by the Astartes Alliance against the Star Claws, after realizing that Neotra was completely unable to think, Metellus made a decision. He rushed out of his formation and moved his cruiser
The Tormented Soul's guns were aimed at the Star Claw ships on the collapsed defense line.
Metellus opened fire on his "friendly" forces, joining the Star Phantom's firepower and splitting the Mantis Warriors' formation in two, clearing a path for the Star Phantom's drop pod.
In the heat of the battle, Metellus left no explanation, simply stating that he believed Chapter Master Neotra would do the same thing as him.
In the end, when Huron's own cruiser broke out of orbit and penetrated the siege of the Exorcist Chapter, Neoterra still failed to react. Metellus, who realized that the Chapter was likely to be liquidated afterwards, wanted to "make up for it."
”, he made a decisive decision to pursue the tyrant of the Maelstrom, which was gone. The Tormented Soul kept firing in pursuit, and plunged headlong into the maelstrom.
What happened after that was out of Metellus's control. They still lost track of Huron. What was worse was that the navigator died in an accident. There was only one trainee navigator, but due to the opponent's unskilled navigation skills, they were
I was forced to wander in the subspace for a while, and when I came out, I found that I was already at the edge of the extreme star field.
Afterwards, Metellus heard about the Mantis Warriors being sent to the Redemption Crusade. He thought that Neotra was dead, and was disheartened and unwilling to return to the battle group. He often wandered around the maelstrom, trying to
He looked for an opportunity to behead Huron, but he never succeeded. Instead, the battle brothers around him gradually lost their lives due to battles over a long period of time. The original company of 76 people now only has 23 people left.