The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Chapter 2847: Officer Hayes

Someone who climbed to the top by mediating disputes and being "indifferent to the world" is now in charge of the life and death of trillions of people. Sosh Jan didn't know if this was lucky or unlucky.

But at least, it wasn't the worst choice he had ever seen, and these kinds of people all had one characteristic: they were very pragmatic, especially when faced with irresistible and overwhelming power.

So, when Sosh Jan stated that he wanted to establish a war zone headquarters and temporarily take over all military and political power in the Archdiocese, Ignatius II almost unhesitatingly raised both hands in agreement. After all, the ruthless things this man had done had already spread throughout the Holy City. This was also the first public bloodshed incident in the Holy City in thousands of years. In the past, this immaculate place had prohibited all bloody conflicts; even the execution of criminals had to be carried out outside the boundaries of the Holy Land.

However, his being so sensible made Sosh Jan change his mind.

After all, doing things too directly might give Terra something to say. In order to avoid future criticism, Sosh Jan decided that the war zone headquarters would only take over the military command of the Archdiocese. In principle, administrative power would still belong to the Patriarch, but the headquarters would have a "liaison department" specifically to communicate with the Patriarch on internal affairs that needed to be coordinated. In reality, this was just a means to deceive people; actual power was still in Sosh Jan's hands, and this "liaison department" was the Holy Fire Order he brought with him.

It wasn't that Sosh Jan wanted to expand here, but he wasn't sure how long this war would last. If it really turned into a long, drawn-out war like the Achillus Crusade, then he would have to prepare. After all, he and the legion couldn't be dragged into the quagmire. At that time, the Archdiocese would have to have its own defense force, or even be strong enough to allow the legion to withdraw. In this situation, relying on the existing framework of the State Church would definitely not work. He could only use the Holy Fire Church to infiltrate and change the social structure of the Archdiocese in secret, turning it into a militarized religious war zone, which might gather enough strength to fight a long-term war of attrition.

After finalizing all the cooperation details with Sosh Jan, Ignatius II immediately summoned all the Cardinals and senior clergy according to the requirements, announcing that the Archdiocese had entered a state of full mobilization for war. The war zone headquarters led by Sosh Jan Aleksey would become the supreme command of this war against the Tyranid, taking over all armed forces, ships, and military strongholds within the Archdiocese.

At the same time, Ignatius II issued the 'Great Holy War Edict,' calling on all believers in the Archdiocese to devote themselves to the holy war against the abominable xenos. This content was quickly broadcast to all worlds, truly bringing war to this once peaceful religious land.

".By the power vested in me by the Throne of Terra, I, Ignatius II, invoke the Edict of Subjugation, transferring all military responsibilities to the War Zone Headquarters. All faithful servants of the God-Emperor, the glorious Archdiocese is under invasion and siege. Billions of believers have been brutally murdered, and cities have been crushed. This is all due to the most vile and filthy inhuman xenos. This onslaught is so swift and terrible, they come from the merciless void beyond the borders of the Imperium. Wherever these enemies of mankind go, they exude an aura of decay. Their goal is to ravage the God-Emperor's kingdom, destroy the God-Emperor's churches, devour the devout believers, and greedily sip pure blood! People who hear my voice, the God-Emperor has unleashed His wrath, and the divine might of the Angels will destroy all evil, but do not think that you can stay away. His eyes watch everything, scrutinize everything. This is an opportunity for redemption and dedication. Put on your armor! Take up your weapons! Hardship and suffering are the penance that the God-Emperor requires of you! Defeat the filthy xenos, cleanse your sins, and heroic sacrifice is the reward of repentance!"

Lying on the hard metal bunk, Hayes didn't care about the Patriarch's impassioned voice. He put his left hand behind his head, one eye staring at the photo in his hand, his wife and children.

It had been almost a year since he left home. He wondered if they were doing well. Although the regiment had given each expedition family an extra 1-2 auxiliary robots, Hayes was still worried that they would be too tired to take care of the children and work without him.

Whenever he thought of his child's pitiful face when he asked him when he would return when he was leaving, he couldn't sleep at night.

He didn't know if he could go back this time, or when he could go back.

If he couldn't go back, what would they do?

The last night, he said that if he really sacrificed himself, they should remarry while they were young, but they were very angry at the time, and almost beat him up. After that, they cried, and scolded that Lord Sosh Jan, saying that he didn't keep his word, and they had to go to war before their lives had stabilized for long.

But Hayes knew very well that Hayes, who had fought so many battles and seen so many hells, knew better than anyone that the peace in front of him was already priceless in the glorious Empire, so for the peace of his wife and children, he left without complaint and without hesitation.

It's just that he couldn't avoid this homesickness.

"Uncle, Uncle!"

Just as Hayes was lost in memories, a voice rang in his ear. He turned his head and saw Little Feton, the son of the country doctor Old Feton. Originally, this lively young man was not on the expedition list, because he was the only son. When the regiment selected people, they would generally give priority to non-only sons. As a result, this guy secretly went to the regiment to make trouble behind his father's back, and forced himself in. When he learned that his son was going to fight, Old Feton fainted directly from anger, and then burst into tears, sighing. Hayes had no choice but to guarantee to the other party that as long as he was alive, he would bring this brat back safe and sound.

This is also the reason why Hayes is under great pressure now. He is no longer alone in the past. He is now a company commander, leading more than a hundred people, and they are all fellow villagers. If any of them die in battle, it will be difficult for him to face their relatives.

Personally, he felt that he was only suitable to be a soldier, but the appointment from above was unquestionable, and he had to bite the bullet and go.

"How many times have I said, this is the army, call me by my rank!"

Hayes sat up from the bunk, stuffed the photo under the pillow, and looked at the medic in his company - that's right, although Little Feton had hardly seriously studied his father's craft, he had at least been influenced by it, so as soon as he entered the company, he was assigned to be a medic, although he was still learning emergency bandaging techniques.

"What's wrong?"

"The priests of the Order are here!"

"Priests?"

Seeing Little Feton's excited face, Hayes remembered that it was almost time for prayer. Although the company was not equipped with priests due to the short formation time, the regiment had priests from the Holy Fire Order who would conduct "morning and evening" prayers twice a day, which was also a way for the soldiers to remember morning and evening on the ship.