Chapter 14
POV Primarch Angron
A fleet of World-eaters, led by the Conqueror, emerged from the Web at the edge of the Zygerria system.
"Father, the scanners have detected a huge number of ships orbiting the planet, most of them no larger than A Thunderbird. Captain Skraal said.
"All these ships carry slaves, I can feel it. Angron Snarled. – No ship must leave the system, every starship must be boarded, and the slaves must be freed. Give appropriate instructions to the crews of destroyers, frigates, and light cruisers. If a single ship leaves, they will personally answer to me.
"Yes, Father, your will will be done.
A few minutes later, the World eaters began boarding the ships near Zygerria. With an unquenchable thirst for blood, they broke into the starships and destroyed the entire crew. After that, they removed the shackles from the slaves and led the ships to the surface of the planet to conduct a census of the freed, and then send them to their home worlds.
The fleet, consisting of Battleships and Cruisers, entered the orbit of the planet. Three or four World-eater ships took up positions above each Zygerria city. In a few moments, Xiphon fighters began to fly out of them, and the landing pods began to fall directly on the zygerrian cities. Fifteen thousand space Marines participated in this offensive. They moved inexorably forward, killing the city guards who tried to resist their advance and the slaveholders who held thousands of sentient beings in captivity.
Primarch Angron himself led his sons in this attack. Forty hours of continuous slaughter. The world-eaters were destroying every zygerrians they could find: men, women, and children. The Legionnaires ' chain weapons bit into the flesh of their victims and released fountains of blood. No zygerrian ship that tried to escape could leave the planet. All of them were taken on Board the fleet eaters of Worlds. When the slaughter was over, the zygerrians ' cities were devastated and covered in blood. But the most important thing for Angron was the freed slaves. And there were more than ten million of them.
POV Magister Kharn.
Half of the Legion of world eaters under the command of Kharn, one of the oldest space Marines who had participated in the Great Crusade, had come out of the web in the Kashiik system. Their target was a race of Trandoshans, vile slavers who called themselves hunters.
But there was another race in the system that suffered from Trandoshan attacks. A Wookie who could become subjects of the Imperium, so their home world, Kashyyyk, was sent to the inquisitors of Ordo xenos for negotiations.
Was a blockade set Trandos and one of his companions Viscacha. Five thousand Legionnaires had landed on Vaskas. Twenty thousand space Marines were marooned on Trandosha. The World eaters killed everyone in their path. The trandoshans, who considered themselves the best hunters in the galaxy, were themselves hunted. In seventeen standard hours, the Trandoshan race was completely wiped out. Forty-two million Trandoshans were killed at the behest of Primarch Angron. The freed slaves would return to their home worlds. On Vasskashe were discovered Padawans of the order of the Jedi, which were used local as a production, and which immediately were sent to Coruscant in the Temple of the Jedi. Thus the will of Primarch Angron was fulfilled. The trandoshans have been exterminated and their slaves freed.
After a brief negotiation, the Wookiees agreed to move under the Imperium protectorate, their role played by what they learned about the fate of the Trandoshan. Thus, the entire Kashyyyk system was placed under the control of the Wookiee.
POV Primarch Angron
"Skraal, find the chroniclers, I want to record a message.
"Yes, Father.
Within an hour, two chroniclers assigned to the World eater fleet were delivered to Primarch Angron. Having deployed their recording equipment, they were ready to document Angron's words:
"I, Angron, son of the human Emperor, Primarch of the XII Legion, the World eaters. I speak to the people of this galaxy, to every living thing. I destroyed the Hutts and destroyed their homeworld because they were engaged in the slave trade, but you did not understand my warning. They thought it was just a demonstration of the Imperium's strength.
But now I will leave a clear message to you and to hundreds of generations of your descendants. If you only think of enslaving, buying, and selling intelligent living beings as things, then remember how it ended for the Hutts and Zygerrians. If you only dare to follow in their footsteps, your races and your home worlds will repeat the fate of Nal-Hatta and Zygerria. If I have the slightest suspicion, I will come for you, my sons will come for you and destroy you all.
When the Primarch had finished speaking, the chroniclers began to record the consequences of the World eaters ' actions. Streets littered with zygerrians ' bodies and stained with their blood.
The recording was sent out by alpha Legion agents across the galaxy and broadcast on almost every world inhabited by intelligent beings. From Coruscant to Mustafar. The footage of the massacre caused terror and fear of the Legion in every citizen of the galaxy. The fear of retribution for the crimes committed, sown in the heart of every living creature, whether xenos or human – was all Angron needed. The entire galaxy will now know that a terrible punishment will follow for engaging in the slave trade.
POV Senator Padme Amidala Naberrie
"Chancellor, you have seen this footage of the massacre. This can happen again on every known world. The atrocities committed by this monster must be condemned. An entire race has been exterminated. Can't you contact their government to put pressure on this Primarch of Angron?"
"My dear, this is a very difficult situation. Almost no one is able to influence this military commander, even among his brothers. Besides, according to the reports of our military analysts. A Legion of World Eaters would have committed genocide anyway, and the only question was who would have been their victim. Their military command simply redirected the Primarch's aggression to the rogue race.
"Can't anyone stop these monsters?" How many more will they kill to quench their thirst for violence? The Senator Asked.
"I understand your concern, but most likely their government will use these acts of intimidation to their advantage to intimidate us so that our resistance is minimal. Because in the short time they have to invade the Republic. Now they are busy eliminating the remnants of the Separatist armies. But very soon they will come for us.
"There must be a way to stop this madness, or to avoid war altogether." Perhaps the negotiations...
"You can't negotiate with them, Senator Amidala. The only thing they need is our complete surrender. So tomorrow I will propose legislation in the Senate to increase military spending and to increase the size of the army. The Republic will have to create ships that will be able to resist their fleet, and portable weapons that will be able to penetrate the armor of these space Marines. This will require huge funds, which will entail new Bank loans for the Republic and an increase in taxes for the population. And I'm afraid we have no other choice. Otherwise the Republic will come to an end.
- New war, how many victims will there be?...
POV master Yoda
The order's masters gathered for a Jedi Council. To discuss the situation.
"The extermination of the zygerrians and trandoshans has caused great disturbance in the Force. – Murmured. "Every Jedi has felt them.
"We must respond to these acts of outright genocide. Master Windu said.
"But they returned a few younglings that had been stolen by the trandoshans. Qui-Gon Jinn Retorted.
"The destruction of two whole races of sentient beings can't be ignored just because they brought back the Padawans. Master Windu said.
"What can we do to them in response to these crimes?" The Imperium has the upper hand in almost everything. The number of space Marines alone exceeds three hundred thousand. I am already silent about their millions of ordinary soldiers and huge spaceships. It's hard to admit, but we are virtually defenseless against the Imperium. Ki-ADI-Mundi Said.
"There must be a way to save us. Master Yoda said
POV of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Two weeks had passed since the zygerrian massacre. Generals Anakin Skywalker and Obi-WAN Kenobi were tracking down the last Separatist military commanders across the galaxy: General grievous and Admiral Trench. According to intelligence, the last Separatist forces were gathering in the Kali system, which also contained the homeworld of General grievous. The separatists gathered forces and tried to escape to Unknown regions to increase their forces there.
When the advanced intelligence units of the Republican fleet arrived in the Cali system, they lay low and began to wait for the main forces of the fleet. Three days later, dozens of Venators and Acclamators arrived in the star system and a fierce battle ensued between the Republicans and the separatists, with casualties on both sides. Interceptor squadrons collided in the void of space. Starships of the Republic and the KNU blew up under fire from turbolaser. Within a few days of the battle, the Republic's forces were able to encircle and pin the remnants of the Separatist fleet to the planet Kali. The end of the Separatists was imminent.
Suddenly, the Imperium fleet appeared in the Kali system.
"Admiral Yularen, get in touch with their flagships, and I want to speak to their commander." Obi-WAN Said To Kenobi.
"It will be done, General.
Kenobi saw a hologram of a giant in black armor. This was how he first met Primarch Ferrus Manus.
"Greetings, I…
"Obi-WAN Kenobi, General of the Grand Army of the Republic. You are here to finish off the remnants of the Separatists. I inform you that I have no intention of interfering with or assisting in this battle.
"If you know who I am, let me ask you who you are." What are you doing here?
"I am the son of the human Emperor, Primarch of the X Legion, Iron hands, Ferrus Manus. And I'm here to meet my brothers, who are now due to return from an expedition to Unknown regions.
"An expedition?"
"Yes, three of my brothers went to explore this uninhabited area of space to take it under the rule of the Imperium. They are about to appear here in this system.
These words have caused Kenobi a shock. It seemed impossible to conquer Unknown regions, but the Imperium managed to do it. And in a relatively short period of time. Admiral Yularen pulled him out of his stupor and said, " General Kenobi, we're detecting new signatures all over the system. These are Imperium ships, thousands of them, and judging by their location and direction of travel, they came from Unknown regions.
"I think I should go." Primarch Ferrus Manus broke the connection.
"Admiral, send a message to Coruscant and report on the current situation. Kenobi Said.
"Yes, General.