Soshyan's eyes swept across the Dark Angels and Gray Knights in front of him, and he was also calculating in his mind.
Everyone present is a soldier and a soldier. Naturally, they all know that in a battle, if all parties go their own way, they will only hold each other back. There is bound to be a need for someone who can have an overview of the overall situation, or at least formulate an overall strategic plan.
But battlefield command is a very delicate thing, especially for the Astartes Chapter.
If it is the Imperial Navy or the Astra Militarum, the matter is often simple. It is either an appointment from the Terra Department, or the decision is based on position or military rank.
But the Astartes are different. It is not necessarily the level of class that determines the command of a battle. Just like the World Engine battle that Soshyan participated in, so many chapter leaders were present at that time, but the command of the battle was ultimately changed.
In the hands of the Seventh Captain of the Ultramarines.
Although it is the result of everyone's recommendation, there is no doubt that such results are often due to qualifications, reputation, and even background. As for strength——
We are all Astartes, and no one will easily admit that he is inferior to others.
Of course, some war groups will choose to use duels to determine their commanders, but this method will inevitably damage the harmony if the war groups are not from the same parent group culture.
Soshyan was unwilling to make this choice unless he had to.
But these two people in front of me are not easy people to get along with.
Not to mention Azrael, as the leader of the founding chapter of the Dark Angels, even though his qualifications are slightly lower than Soshyan's, his background is much deeper, and he even brought the Stone Fortress. From the existing strength
It is also the most among the three battle groups present.
As the Grand Master of the Gray Knights, Joan Herald naturally possesses strong authority based on the particularity of the Gray Knights. Not to mention that the other party has probably served for more than a thousand years, and his qualifications are far from simple.
Nothing compares to it.
But he is not willing to give up command power easily. After all, if he wants to find a flagship later, having command power will undoubtedly make it much easier.
Of course, Soshyan is not completely without advantages. At least he has "legitimacy". After all, it was the planetary governor who personally handed over the command, which makes sense on the surface.
Therefore, at this time, some strategies are needed.
"Oh, you can't say that, Chapter Commander Randall."
Soshyan sighed softly, turned to Randall and said:
"I have only served the empire for a few years and have not achieved any merits. How dare I steal the position of commander? Chapter Master Azrael is young and promising, and Grand Master Harold has also experienced hundreds of battles. They are both better than me.
More suitable."
Azrael was stunned for a moment, and then glanced at Belial. The Deathwing Grand Master just raised his eyebrows without much expression.
Azmodai always looks like a sculpture.
"I have never achieved any meritorious deeds, so I dare not say that."
Azrael knew about the Second War of Armageddon that Soshyan had just fought. He felt that if he stood up at this time, he would look too arrogant - the Dark Angel's usual restraint and calmness were reflected in him.
Revealed without a doubt.
Hearing Soshyan's words, Herald also frowned.
"I don't have so much vanity, everything is just to serve the emperor."
Randall's look at Soshyan changed immediately. He probably guessed what the acting army commander was thinking, so he smiled and said:
"In this case, everyone should not be modest. Chapter Commander Soshiyang is responsible for the main strategic deployment of this battle. Each chapter will decide on the specific tactical plan. If there is a major decision, we can just discuss it and make the decision."
There were all smart people present, and they quickly understood Randall's thoughts.
In other words, Soshyan makes the overall deployment, mainly commands the Astra Militarum and the mortal forces, does not directly interfere with the Dark Angels and Gray Knights, and discusses and votes on major decisions or large-scale joint operations.
This is a very middle-of-the-road compromise, but certainly easier to live with.
Azrael nodded first, Herald was silent for a while, and finally nodded.
In this way, Soshyan's title of battlefield commander is confirmed.
Next, everyone came to the strategic command room of the orbital station. Although the decoration here was still so old, the equipment had been repaired, and the huge holographic image of the Paiji star appeared in the center of the command room.
Soshyan then gave a brief introduction to the situation on the planet Paidu. When he heard that a large number of demons had appeared on the planet, Joan Herald looked very unhappy.
No one understands the difficulty and terror of demons better than the Gray Knights. Facing a world that is about to be completely swallowed by Chaos Demons, a brotherhood alone may not be able to cope.
Therefore, he was secretly glad that the Astral Knights, White Templar, and Dark Angel were all here.
Azrael said nothing while listening to the briefing, just frowning.
After Soshyan finished speaking, he was the first to ask the question very politely.
"Are there any survivors on the planet now?"
Soshyan nodded.
"Yes, there are many explorer fortresses on Pai Shang. Although most of them have been breached, some should still remain."
With that said, he asked Colonel Stryker to be called.
The Catachan man was also startled when he came. He suspected that he might be the person who had seen the most Astartes Chapter Leaders in Catachan's history, especially the one in silver armor. He was curious, but his intuition
Tell him it's best not to ask.
"This is Colonel Stryker of the Catachan 183rd Regiment, the former Governor of the Death Star, and the supreme commander of the Resistance Army."
After hearing Soshyan's introduction, Azrael nodded towards Stryker. No matter what, it was an amazing thing for a mortal to persist in a world where demons were rampant for so long.
Joan Herald's gaze was much more complex, with admiration, suspicion, and even a touch of murderous intent. That strange gaze made Stryker feel as if he was being stared at by the executioner at the execution ground.
"Colonel Stryker, let me introduce to you the distribution of the current resistance forces on Paiji."
"Uh, oh, okay... The remaining explorer fortresses and camps are mainly concentrated in the Red Sand Mountains, and there are still six left. It seems that there are also four or five remaining fortresses in the area near the North Pole of the planet, but they are remote
Radio communication is good and bad. The last time we received news from there was half a month ago. In addition, there seem to be some fortresses surviving in the Skua Mountains on the southern coast of the mainland."
"Have you ever fought demons?"
Joan Herald asked suddenly, leaving Stryker unable to react.
After a few seconds, he nodded hastily.
"Most people have fought with those ghosts. They are very difficult to deal with. Sometimes they cannot be killed. It is easier to deal with them by burning them."
"Are there many defectors?"
Stryker frowned.
"Honestly...it's quite a lot."
"During the battle, how high the proportion of people went crazy, or became insane."
"Hiss...I haven't really counted this, but it must be quite a lot."
The more Stryker answered, the more he felt like a prisoner. The tone and eyes of this armored warrior made him very unhappy, but he couldn't express it.
Although he was a Catachan, he was not stupid enough to get angry at an Astartes Chapter Master.
Stryker may not be able to hear the subtext of Joan Herald, but the three Chapter Masters who know the Gray Knights can vaguely guess the murderous intention hidden in it.
What happened after the first Battle of Armageddon, ordinary people, even ordinary Astartes may not know, but there will always be someone who knows. After all, there are many Space Wolves involved in the incident in the chapter itself.
Big mouth".
The three chapter leaders who happened to be present all had relevant records in the chapter.