The sudden arrival of the Mantis Warrior surprised Soshyan, but then he remembered that the other party had indeed said that he would come to visit him after the matter with Terra was over. However, there was no news from the other party for a long time, so he forgot about it.
.
So Soshyan received the Chapter of the Astral Knights, which had ended the Atonement Expedition ahead of schedule, at the Chapter Monastery Fortress of the Astral Knights. The Mantis Warriors were obviously replenished, with the number of personnel increased to more than 500, and the number of battleships increased from the original three.
7 ships, a few more frigates, I don’t know if they were obtained from the High Lords Council or somewhere else.
In addition, the person who leads the Mantis Warriors is not their original Chapter Master, but the Second Captain Metellus who returned from the Maelstrom Expedition. He becomes the new Chapter Master of the Mantis Warriors, which makes Soshyan
Some doubts.
These doubts were not finally solved until the welcome banquet was over and Soshyan had a private conversation with Metellus.
"Captain Metellus, oh no, I should be called Chapter Commander Metellus now. You guys came too suddenly and didn't entertain me well. Please forgive me."
There was an open-air platform on the high-rise tower of the Chapter Monastery. Soshyan and Metellus stood behind the parapet. From here, they could see the bustling lights of the distant city.
Metellus wore a brand new set of finely crafted power armor, and his temperament was deeper.
"It's just our sudden visit. I hope it doesn't cause you any trouble."
"Nearly ten years have passed since the last time we said goodbye. After leaving Terra, you-"
Metellus said nothing, but took out a letter and handed it to Soshyan.
Soshyan took it and saw a line of words written on the envelope.
The Lord of the Astral Knights, Chapter Master Soshyan Alexei.
Opening the seal, there was a piece of lightly folded letter paper inside. Shaking it gently, Soshiyang looked at the words on it carefully.
...Dear Chapter Master Soshyan Alexey, thank you very much for severely injuring the traitor Huron, helping the Mantis Warriors clear their names, and putting an end to the chaos caused by our mistakes. After I was sentenced to life imprisonment
, I have been thinking about a question, that is, how did everything come to this point? I once swore allegiance to the throne and the empire to the death, and my loyalty and obedience were engraved in my soul from the moment I served.
I am the guardian of the realm of Modrina and Usyca, and the watchman of the Maelstrom. I should have returned to the throne with a clean soul after a glorious death...but I ended up becoming a traitor. I have been thinking about it.
, how did I get to this point?
Even the Inquisition believes that my mistake was not caused by hatred and selfish desires, but by being misled, deceived and confused by people with ulterior motives, like an imperial civilian who believed that Chaos could promise wealth, power and honor. Perhaps this means that I am
An unqualified Astartes, weak-willed and dull-minded, allows the brothers of the Chapter to do evil things without knowing it, but this is far from my concern...
Metellus told me a lot about you, your words and deeds, your style of conduct and your leadership charisma. He admired you very much, especially your wisdom and skills in fighting the imperial bureaucracy, which convinced him that you were the leader.
The best among us in this era, but even so, I still feel uneasy, no offense, but I finally realized how everything got to this point - it all comes from gullibility, a kind of self-confidence.
Even though I had fallen into blind credulity, I had firmly believed that Huron was the best among us.
When we met in private, he often expressed anger and concern about the current state of the Empire. When the war on Badab was first ignited, Huron told me that the burden of saving the Adeptus Astartes fell on us.
It was the emperor's last hope. In the end, I chose to trust him unconditionally, and this was the beginning of everything.
Originally I thought that this kind of gullibility would not appear in Metellus, because he is the wisest among us, and he was also the most opposed to joining Huron's war alliance at first, but now I see my shadow in him,
Is this gullibility really an overall flaw in the Mantis Warrior's gene-seed? I'm not accusing you of being like Huron, but I can't help being afraid, which means I don't trust anyone anymore.
This is also a mistake, a suspicion rooted in the soul. It has shrouded me for too long and I cannot get rid of it. In this way, I can no longer assume the position of Chapter Master. I handed over the position of Chapter Master to
Metellus, but I don’t want him to make the same mistake again. After all, if the same mistake happens again, will there be room for the Mantis Warrior in the empire?
I just hope that all these tragedies will never happen again. Dear Chapter Master Soshyan Alexey, I am extremely grateful for everything you have done for the Empire, for humanity, for the Mantis Warriors, and for me. If you hadn’t extended a helping hand,
In the end, I am just a rotting corpse in a dark dungeon. I may not be able to repay you with anything in this life. Metellus and the Mantis Warriors will become your staunch allies. I hope you will always remember that his light is not
It is vague, on the contrary, it is bright, firm, and does not tolerate suspicion and doubt.
I am a sinner, I don't need forgiveness and I don't seek mercy.
May you always shine brightly and be fearless of evil.
——Atonement Mantis, Hessen Neotra
After reading this autographed letter from the former Chapter Master of the Mantis Warriors, Soshyan had many thoughts. Most Astartes have extremely firm and even stubborn temperaments, which can make an Astartes have such self-doubt and self-examination.
, I’m afraid it’s hard to imagine what Hessen Neotra went through in the dark prison of the Inquisition.
And the words above were like fire, burning Soshiyang's soul. If the other party stood in front of him and asked such a question, how could he answer?
he does not know.
Doing what you think is right may not always lead to the right result. This fact is often chilling. Soshyan himself cannot guarantee that everything he does now will have a good outcome in the future.
After a moment of silence, Soshyan put away the letter. Metellus didn't know what was written in the letter, but looking at Soshyan's expression, he thought it contained some bad content, so he explained.
"Hessen has been imprisoned for too long, coupled with the various humiliating tortures he received from the trial court before, which may have made him..."
Soshyan waved his hand.
"It doesn't matter, then where did he go after he was released from prison?"
"He...he is determined to serve in the Death Watch, and we can only respect his wishes."
"Death watch, that's fine."
Soshyan nodded slightly.
"No one there will talk about his past, and I hope he can find his own peace in the battle with the aliens. The emperor is tolerant and will forgive his mistakes, although life will always end badly if he makes one wrong step.
Abyss, but if there is a chance to reform, I think it is more meaningful than simple punishment."