It had indeed been a great victory. At least for those on Iridion 5. But at a galactic level, it was somewhat meaningless. It was a remote barely hospitable planet close to the edge of galactic space. Yes, there were its mineral resources but there were millions of other systems to mine before that would ever become problematic.
If every soul on that planet had died, the Emperor would not have felt a thing and cared even less. It took time for the crushing truth to reach Timothy. He was awarded medals of course but there was a bitter taste once he understood the bigger picture..
Strategic fortress worlds had fallen in the quadrant to the Tyranids, all life having been subsumed. Billions of human lives were lost. Worse, the orcs had started a new campaign and a further handful of worlds had fallen to chaos.
Nobody else knew it. But the Emperor had had enough. Nobody could match his ruthlessness. It was not by accident that he had maintained his throne for thousands of years.
Months passed before Timothy received his orders. They came as a huge relief. The planet’s atmosphere was beginning to sicken him, his skin growing blotchy like the natives. He was to board the imperial ship Al Berta. Hopefully, this would bring him closer to Uisneach and his beloved Audrey.
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