In orbit.
Numerous Imperial transport vessels, and even many Eldar shuttles, continuously traveled between orbit and the planet's surface.
On Sith's lunar class deck at this moment, under the command of thousands of Blackwatch veterans who had experienced the 'Two Hundred Apocalypses' war, a large number of Imperial Guardsmen and crew members were busy moving supplies.
Countless pallet carts scurried back and forth across the deck until a sudden, sharp sound of someone snapping to attention echoed from ahead.
Amidst the continuous respectful calls of 'My Lord,' Sith approached, accompanied by Van Roth and Ana.
"Carry on."
Sith raised his hand in a brief acknowledgment, signaling the crowd to continue loading supplies.
Simultaneously, observing the massive bundles on the pallet carts filled with various crops, meats, vegetables, fine wines, and even fruits, Sith couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly:
"The xenos certainly know how to live well."
Gazing at these high-quality provisions stockpiled by the Eldar pirates, Sith spoke without the slightest reservation.
Beside him, Van Roth and Shahansen pretended not to hear.
After all, the underlying implication of that statement was that the lives of the Imperial populace were truly not even comparable to 'a stray dog by the roadside.'
"Why is there no corpse starch?"
"These xenos aren't tainted by the Warp; they could be processed into starch."
"Their souls were given to... uh..."
"The Throne! Given to the Throne!"
Van Roth, deeply afraid Sith might utter something blasphemous, hurriedly finished the sentence for him.
Sith gave Van Roth an approving glance before continuing:
"Right! Their souls were given to the Throne; their bodies should be given to the Empire."
"We must make full use of these xenos."
Van Roth let out a relieved sigh, wiping cold sweat from his forehead, then forced a dry laugh to cover his awkwardness.
Then, looking towards the destination on the deck, he quickly pointed to change the subject:
"This is all of them, my Lord. We have rescued a total of one hundred thousand humans plundered by the xenos from the surface."
Hearing this, Sith followed his gaze. One corner of the deck was now densely packed with crouching young and able-bodied individuals.
Looking at this group of humans, whose origins from plunder were unknown, Sith did not approach. He merely observed from the elevated position for a moment before averting his eyes:
"Our manpower is too scarce. Select qualified individuals from among them to recruit as crew and soldiers."
"As for the remaining population..."
As he spoke, Sith turned his gaze to Shahansen, who insisted on staying by his side alongside Van Roth.
"We have rescued quite a few humans from the xenos along our journey. Can these people be resettled back on Imperial worlds?"
Seeing Sith finally assigning him a task, Shahansen nodded almost without thinking.
"No problem at all!"
Seeing Shahansen's immediate agreement, Sith instead felt a flicker of doubt. After all, he was currently considered a 'rebel' of sorts. Could the humans he rescued return so easily?
Noticing Sith's Confuse, Shahansen quickly explained:
"The Empire... is vast."
"And while there is a misunderstanding between you and the Empire, I have none..."
Sith raised an eyelid slightly, then decided not to bother worrying about it. After all, an Inquisitor capable of establishing the Impenetrable Defense Line could easily find a place to settle civilians without breaking a sweat.
Moreover, to prove his capabilities were no less than Van Roth's, Shahansen even thoughtfully offered Sith a customized option:
"Does my Lord have a specific world in mind? Anywhere but Terra, these people can be sent there."
Sith had originally been about to leave upon hearing this, but the words gave him pause.
Simultaneously, a name almost instantly surfaced in his mind.
As Sith paused, neither Van Roth nor Shahansen behind him dared to speak.
It wasn't until Sith uttered the name of that place that Van Roth and Shahansen couldn't help but exchange glances.
"Alert Star."
"Send all the people I have rescued to Alert Star."
The war on Alert Star had ended long ago. Even with the Empire's notoriously slow information flow, both Shahansen and Van Roth knew that Alert Star's original population of over 150 billion had been nearly wiped out, with only the supporting Astra Militarum forces from elsewhere remaining.
Currently, Alert Star was in a state of post-war desolation, urgently in need of population replenishment.
Even the Omiya refugees who had fled with Sith not long ago had been sent to Alert Star by Sith using the Faramor Dynasty's merchant fleet.
Now, adding the continuously rescued humans along the journey, and considering Sith himself hailed from Alert Star, both men quickly realized that once the God-Emperor bypassed the Chaos Gods, found Guilliman, and gave him a few good slaps, Alert Star would inevitably become Sith's future recruiting world.
In the future, an endless stream of Blackwatch would be bred from the descendants of these humans rescued by Sith. They would shout the names of Sith and the Empire, marching from Alert Star to battlefields across the galaxy.
Moreover, unlike worlds like Krieger or the Death Korps, famous for producing specific Legions,
Alert Star would not only become renowned for the Blackwatch but would also become the Empire's most crucial fortress world after Cadia.
It would not only become the homeworld of the Blackwatch but also the sole stronghold guarding the Empire's sacred borders and the dark reaches.
Coupled with Alert Star's vast surface, capable of accommodating hundreds of billions, even two hundred billion, it would begin its reconstruction from the descendants of those Sith had rescued.
And after Guilliman rushed back to Terra and delivered the God-Emperor's slaps to the Terran High Lords, Alert Star would receive the Empire's all-out, Regardless of cost reconstruction, upgrade, and expansion!
Even the Ecclesiarchy and the Adeptus Mechanicus would, in Sith's name, elevate Alert Star to the rare status of a dual-sect holy world.
By that time, Alert Star would not only be Sith's recruiting world but also a unique homeworld in the Empire, even the entire galaxy, integrating the roles of fortress world, dual-saint world, Forge World, recruiting world, and nodal world.
As Van Roth followed this train of thought, he couldn't help but glance at Shahansen. For this Alert Star, Soon rising anew from the humans Sith had rescued, would become the Empire's most important planet after Terra!
If not for the God-Emperor sitting on Terra, unable to rise from the Golden Throne, Alert Star's status might even rival that of Terra itself.
And the master of such a crucial planet would be the God-Emperor's chosen, the Primarch of the Astra Militarum, the embodiment of the bridge of friendship between humanity and orks:
Lord Sith!
"Yes... yes, I... I'll see to it immediately."
Shahansen, who had initially thought this was just a routine task, found his words beginning to tremble as he reached this point.
After all, to become a founder of such a world, and one personally entrusted by Sith, Shahansen already felt his life's worth was more than made.
If nothing else, on some future day, when Sith's statue towered like a giant over the dual-saint worlds of the Ecclesiarchy and the Mechanicus, there would inevitably be a follower's statue named 'Shahansen' at Sith's feet!
And every ounce of faith contributed by future pilgrims arriving at Alert Star would, through Sith, also bestow its grace upon him.
In a universe where an afterlife truly exists, and a particularly grueling one at that, this was even more fortunate than receiving the God-Emperor's blessing.
After all, accepting the God-Emperor's blessing also meant you'd have to work after death.
And not just work, but work without worrying about death or rest, endlessly and without end!
Shahansen's body beneath his Inquisition power armor trembled slightly. He instinctively turned to leave but suddenly stopped.
Then, under Van Roth's gaze filled with envy so intense it seemed to drip blood, Shahansen turned back with remarkable solemnity and bowed respectfully to Sith:
"My Lord, Alert Star shall stand in the galaxy once more,"
"In your name!"
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