Chapter 239 — King?
The question was direct.
Simple.
Captain Vale hesitated briefly.
"No, sir."
Gaius continued staring at him.
"Then why did you not respond to my orders?"
Captain Vale immediately understood what he meant.
Earlier, when Gaius broadcast his authority across the planet, the PDF command structure never answered.
Vale spoke carefully.
"We were ordered not to respond."
Gaius understood immediately.
The corruption had reached higher command levels already.
"Then your superior officers have betrayed the Imperium."
His tone remained calm.
Matter-of-fact.
"They will be executed for rebellion."
Captain Vale paused.
Not because he disagreed.
But because those officers had once been people he respected.
Commanders he served under for years.
Still…
After today, after seeing what the False Emperor truly was, denying reality would solve nothing.
Slowly, Vale raised his hand and made the Aquila across his chest.
"Understood."
Gaius nodded once.
"Command your soldiers to stabilize your assigned sectors."
Vale listened carefully.
"Suppress riots. Restore communications where possible. Spread my orders throughout the hive."
"Yes, sir."
"Any officer refusing Imperial authority is to be detained."
Captain Vale nodded again.
This time more firmly.
He understood the situation now.
The Ultramarines were taking control of the planet.
And honestly,
That was probably the only reason Varrak Prime still existed.
Vale bowed his head slightly before turning to leave.
The Ultramarines allowed him to pass without interference.
After he disappeared into the corridor, one of the nearby Ultramarines spoke.
"Praetor."
Gaius looked toward him.
"Are we allowing him to leave freely?"
A short pause followed.
"Will he obey?"
Gaius answered immediately.
"It does not matter."
The Ultramarine waited silently.
Gaius continued.
"He understands the consequences if he refuses."
His black eyes shifted briefly toward the ruined chamber around them.
"If the military structure of this world remains compromised, we will cleanse it thoroughly."
The meaning was clear.
If the PDF refused compliance, the Ultramarines were fully prepared to purge the entire command structure by force.
The questioning Ultramarine nodded once.
No further discussion was needed.
Gaius looked around the ruined throne chamber one final time.
The civilians remained gathered together under guard nearby.
Terrified.
Exhausted.
Confused.
But alive.
"Prepare the Thunderhawk," Gaius ordered.
"We will return to the Oath of Rectitude and report the situation."
Then he looked toward two of the Ultramarines.
"You will remain here."
The two immediately acknowledged the order.
"Secure this spire and protect the surviving civilians."
"Understood, Praetor."
The civilians visibly stiffened hearing that.
Some seemed relieved.
Others looked even more nervous knowing the giant armored warriors would remain nearby.
But none argued.
At this point, most of them were too exhausted to resist anything.
Gaius turned and left the throne chamber with the remaining two Ultramarines.
The surviving civilians watched silently as he disappeared down the shattered corridor.
The group watched quietly as Gaius and the Ultramarines descended through the damaged Palace Spire.
The lower sections of the structure were still unstable. Fires burned in several corridors. Dead worshippers and corrupted bodies littered the halls.
Outside the palace, the hive city remained chaotic.
Smoke rose from distant districts.
Sirens echoed constantly.
Thunderhawks crossed the sky overhead while new Ultramarine deployments descended toward different sectors.
But compared to earlier,
The planet was stabilizing.
Slowly.
Eventually, Gaius reached the Thunderhawk where they had first landed.
The gunship remained parked among rubble and destroyed defensive structures.
Inside sat the pilot serf, Marcus.
The moment Gaius entered, Marcus straightened immediately.
"Lord Gaius."
"Return to the Oath of Rectitude."
"Understood."
The Thunderhawk engines roared to life.
Dust and ash scattered across the ruined landing zone as the gunship slowly lifted into the air.
From above, the scale of the damage became even clearer.
Several sections of the upper hive were still burning. Emergency vehicles moved through lower streets while PDF units attempted to restore order below.
Farther away, additional Thunderhawks descended toward major sectors across the planet.
The Ultramarines were taking control quickly.
Inside the transport, Gaius remained silent during the ascent.
The members of the Multiversal Chat also stayed mostly quiet.
Everyone understood the battle was over.
But the consequences would remain for a long time.
Eventually, the Thunderhawk entered the launch bay of the Oath of Rectitude.
Servitors moved quickly around the landing zone as the transport settled into place.
Gaius exited immediately and began heading toward the command center.
He intended to report directly to the Chapter Master Marneus Calgar.
But before he could reach the command deck, a ship serf approached quickly.
The young man knelt slightly.
"Lord Gaius."
Gaius stopped.
"A transmission from Terra has arrived."
The serf carefully handed over a data slate.
Gaius accepted it silently.
Then looked at the message.
The moment he saw the sender identification, even the nearby Ultramarines became slightly more attentive.
The Emperor.
Gaius read the message quietly at first.
Then aloud for the members of the Multiversal Chat still watching.
"You were correct to eliminate the psyker blessed by the Ruinous Powers."
The message continued.
"The system remains unstable. Imperial authority across nearby worlds is weakening."
Gaius continued reading calmly.
"You are ordered to remain stationed within the system and assume direct control over Varrak Prime and nearby sectors if necessary."
Naruto blinked.
"…wait."
Then came the next line.
"You may rule them as you see fit."
Tony immediately laughed softly.
"Well damn."
The message ended with one final sentence.
"You will need it."
Silence followed briefly.
Even Gaius paused slightly at those words.
The statement felt important.
Not simply an order.
Almost a warning.
Or preparation.
Because Ultramarines were never meant to be only warriors.
Guilliman himself had wanted his sons to become rulers, scholars, and leaders once humanity finally found peace.
Gaius understood that history well.
Still—
Being given authority over entire systems was another matter entirely.
Tony crossed his arms.
"So you're basically becoming a king now, huh?"
Naruto immediately grinned slightly.
"You're gonna be like a Hokage… but for multiple worlds."
Saeko smiled faintly.
"Honestly, you are suited for it."
Mindy nodded in agreement.
"You stayed calm through all of that."
Diana also nodded quietly.
"You think ahead. Most people don't."
Even Tanya gave a small approving nod.
Among all Space Marine Chapters, Ultramarines were perhaps the most capable rulers.
Organization.
Discipline.
Administration.
Those things mattered just as much as strength in the Imperium.
Gaius looked toward them.
For a brief moment, no one spoke.
Then Gaius finally said,
"I will end the broadcast here."
The members of the Multiversal Chat nodded.
This had become normal already.
After major battles, Gaius always disconnected afterward.
Naruto stretched slightly before grinning.
"Try not to become too boring as a ruler."
Tony smirked.
"Yeah. Don't start acting like an old politician."
Even Saeko smiled a little at that.
Gaius gave no visible reaction to the teasing.
But his tone remained calm as always.
"We will speak again later."
Then the broadcast ended.
The screens disappeared one by one.
~~~
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