Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor

The flames raging across the wasteland grew ever fiercer.

The Khorne Daemon legions, like an endless swarm of ants, covered every inch of visible ground.

At this moment, these abominable beings had temporarily halted, their Daemon Engines rumbling deeply in restrained anticipation.

They awaited their next command.

"You dare defy the orders of the Supreme Bloodthirster?!"

Ka'Bandha glared at the group of Khorne Greater Daemons who refused to redeploy to Ultramar, his fury igniting the sky.

This campaign included far too many of the highest-ranked Daemons, making command difficult under normal circumstances.

Now, with the army's Supreme Commander altering their orders before a single battle had been fought – pulling them back to redeploy on a different front – it reeked of cowardice.

These Khorne Greater Daemons were outraged that their commander would defy the Blood God's ordained plan of war, and they felt humiliated by this retreat before battle.

They shouted their accusations:

"Ka'Bandha, why do you order us to withdraw without cause?!"

"Conquering the Savior's territories is the Blood God's will. You do not have the authority to alter it!"

"Have you grown fearful of battle? What disgrace…"

"ROAR!!"

Khorne's warriors never yielded easily to another's command, especially if they believed their leader lacked sufficient martial courage.

As their accusations echoed, countless Daemon lieutenants turned their gaze upon Ka'Bandha, their expressions shifting.

The Supreme Bloodthirster was losing his authority. If he failed to subdue these dissenters, his command would be forfeit.

Such was their unspoken law, beyond even the Blood God's intervention.

Many neutral Greater Daemons grew anxious. The army had not even reached the front lines yet, and already it threatened to splinter. Such discord might well cripple the Blood God's grand campaign to conquer the galaxy.

But regardless, the blame would fall squarely upon this Supreme Bloodthirster's incompetence.

"Cowardice?"

Ka'Bandha sensed the change rippling through the ranks but had no intention of persuading them – nor did he need to.

With a cold snarl, he seized one of the most vocal dissenters and, before anyone could react, ripped off his head in a single fluid motion. He mounted the severed head upon the trophy rack protruding from his massive shoulders.

Then he stomped another Greater Daemon beneath his clawed foot:

"You wretched weaklings have no power to defy the Supreme Bloodthirster."

His bestial gaze swept across them all.

"Any who dare oppose me will meet this fate!"

With that, he crushed the second daemon's skull underfoot.

Silence fell over the gathered legions.

This brutal, blood-drenched display finally reminded them of just how terrifying this Supreme Bloodthirster truly was, quelling their reckless anger.

Ka'Bandha had cowed them all with his sheer might. None dared utter another word.

Seeing their fearful silence brought him deep satisfaction.

He might not be certain of victory against the Savior, but dealing with mere daemons like these? That was his forte!

"Indeed, the Blood God commanded us to attack the Savior's lands. It was the correct decision…"

He paused, then continued in a rumbling growl:

"But that was before. The galactic war has shifted."

"As Supreme Commander, I must make the judgements that will spread the most blood and fire."

He fabricated a justification on the spot:

"Now, those plague-ridden maggots have intensified their invasion of Ultramar, seizing ever more territory. If we continue attacking the Savior's domain, we cannot possibly match their speed."

"And if we cannot surpass their tally of slaughter… that would be true disgrace!"

"Therefore, we must redeploy to Ultramar and the Scourge Stars, to tear from Nurgle's spawn everything they have stolen."

"Only then will we claim true glory."

The longer Ka'Bandha spoke, the more convinced he became of his own cunning. His chest swelled with pride at his newfound 'wisdom.'

In truth, this was the result of subtle, long-term suggestions implanted by Barak over the years, particularly concerning the plan to intercept Nurgle's daemons at Ultramar.

Remembering something, Ka'Bandha added:

"Besides… the Savior and his forces will also go to Ultramar."

"We will face him there, and I – the Supreme Bloodthirster – will strike down our greatest foe before all who bear witness!"

As long as the battle was not on the Savior's home ground, he had confidence in victory!

When he finished, silence still reigned – awkward and heavy.

But his words were not without effect. The daemons' minds simply took time to process them.

Some of the more intelligent Greater Daemons pondered the logic, while the simpler ones merely scratched their heads with blank expressions of "He sure talks a lot… must be right."

At that moment, Barak stepped forward to assist.

Raising his blood-slicked axe high, he roared:

"For the Blood God – we march on Ultramar! Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!"

In an instant, the Khorne Daemon legions erupted with a thunderous warcry that shook the heavens.

They had accepted the Supreme Bloodthirster's decree.

Ka'Bandha felt a surge of delight at his triumph. He had bent the legions to his will through 'wisdom.'

In the fervor of their roars, he shouted:

"Ultramar is not our final battleground! I, Supreme Bloodthirster and Devourer of Daemons, promise you – we shall carry this war into the heart of Nurgle's Garden itself!"

His declaration rang across the burning plains, amplifying the daemons' bloodlust:

"For the Blood God!!!"

Their murderous fervor became tangible, manifesting as dark crimson hellfire swirling through the sky.

And so the Daemon legions turned their march, heading toward the Ultramar node.

Their column slithered like a black infernal serpent across the wastes.

Before long, from atop his brass chariot, Ka'Bandha spotted a Nurgle host marching in the distance, blowing their merry pipes and humming foul songs, clearly bound for the Savior's territory.

"Perhaps we should give battle… we cannot let these plague-ridden vermin gain all the glory."

He considered briefly, then gave the order to attack.

The warhorns blared.

The Supreme Bloodthirster unleashed his horde upon the Nurgle forces. Their onslaught was unstoppable.

The singing Nurgle daemons, outnumbered tenfold, were swiftly encircled and utterly slaughtered.

Khorne's warriors hacked down every daemon, constructing a towering pyramid of rotting heads.

With fresh trophies adorning their ranks, Ka'Bandha led them onward toward Ultramar.

At the rear of the host, a few Greater Daemons whispered among themselves.

They watched their triumphant commander with resentful eyes.

These daemons had sworn fealty to Angrath, the previous First Daemon, and had never accepted Ka'Bandha's rule. His every decision disgusted them.

They believed him cowardly, fleeing from battle with the Savior in shameful defiance of the Blood God's will.

After whispering together, they resolved to report his treachery directly to the Blood God.

"Blood God, Ka'Bandha refuses to face the Savior in battle. He has betrayed your command…"

One of them sent a mental prayer to the vast, towering shadow of Khorne, laying out all of Ka'Bandha's humiliating acts, hoping the Blood God's wrath would soon fall.

BOOM—

In an explosion of fury, Khorne's shadow swelled within their minds, raining down his punishment.

But it was not Ka'Bandha who received the punishment.

Instead, searing blood-whip illusions lashed the daemons making the report, rending their bodies into quivering heaps of pain.

"You… will obey."

Having chastised them, the Blood God bestowed an unexpected blessing.

He praised the Supreme Bloodthirster's tactical redeployment and granted him further boons.

All present were stunned, including Ka'Bandha himself.

After all, he had knowingly defied his god's command, expecting harsh retribution – not praise and reward.

What was happening?

With the arrival of Khorne's latest divine edict, all became clear.

The Blood God had forged an alliance with the Changer of Ways to unite against Nurgle.

Both gods would now combine their forces to shatter the Plague God's grand ambitions across the galaxy.

In truth, Khorne had just been about to command Ka'Bandha to redeploy to Ultramar himself.

But his favored daemon had already moved out, sparing precious time. This pleased Khorne greatly.

As for Ka'Bandha's earlier disobedience, the Blood God no longer cared.

Khorne even delighted in seeing his followers openly challenge him – it proved their courage.

Of course, not everyone was qualified to question the Blood God's authority. Only those with the strength and glory to back their words could do so without facing devastating consequences.

In simple terms: you had to be strong, accomplished, and able to endure a beating.

Those few Khorne Greater Daemons who tattled on Ka'Bandha, however, were weak, had no achievements, and couldn't take a beating. When punishment came, they howled in agony.

Some even perished under the torment.

Such pitiful displays only deepened the Blood God's wrath. He much preferred Ka'Bandha's silent, unyielding defiance.

Upon learning of the alliance with the Tzeentchian daemons, Ka'Bandha cursed under his breath.

But he still obeyed Khorne's command, hastening toward Ultramar, eager to claim victory before any allies could steal his glory.

...

Martilla, quarantine zone.

Tiny crystalline raindrops fell from the sky.

People stepped out from their sealed tents to bathe in this rare rainfall.

They prayed silently, giving thanks to the Savior for his blessing.

This rain carried residual purification agents dispersed through atmospheric manipulation systems after the recent battle.

Even though these agents had been diluted many times over, they retained potent healing properties, dissolving plague viruses throughout the environment.

This would accelerate the recovery of the sick and injured.

After the invading Nurgle Daemon horde had been wiped out, order on this world was quickly restored, averting further chaos.

Yet the tension had not lifted.

The Savior's forces were hastily constructing new defensive lines, for another invasion loomed.

An even greater threat.

But just as construction began, a new order arrived from the Savior: halt all fortification efforts. The crisis had been resolved.

Instead, they were to prepare to depart for Ultramar.

...

Temporary Savior's Sanctum.

"Hah, that's my brother Ka'Bandha for you!"

Eden flipped through intelligence files, a satisfied smile on his lips.

Moments ago, he'd received a secret report from Barak, Khorne's cunning infiltrator.

The report detailed how Ka'Bandha had changed course, marching to Ultramar to fight the "big fluttering moth" (Mortarion).

On the way, he had even wiped out a Nurgle army that was attempting to invade the Savior's territory.

This was a divine assist, saving Eden valuable time and resources.

That bastard, his half-brother in the warp, always did know how to handle things to his liking.

His redeployment to Ultramar not only pleased Eden, but also Khorne and the Changer of Ways.

Everyone was happy.

The Plague War's strategic picture was becoming clear.

Nurgle's Garden continued its rampant expansion, forcing Khorne and Tzeentch to form an alliance against the Plague Lord.

They could not allow Nurgle to grow too dominant.

Eden read through the consolidated reports, analyzing both enemy and allied troop dispositions.

The main battlefront lay in Ultramar and the surrounding Scourge Stars. Both sides sought to control these territories to prevent their absorption into Nurgle's Garden.

Known Nurgle forces included:

Mortarion, Death Lord

Typhus, the Traveller

Ku'gath Plaguefather

The Great Plague

Septicemia

Karama

Their armies consisted of Death Guard, Plague Fleets, Nurgle Warbands, Daemon Legions, corrupted cults, and Chaos Titan Legions.

On Eden's side:

Imperium forces: Regent Guilliman and his commanders; Adeptus Astartes Chapters; Grey Knights; Imperial Guard; Mechanicus; Sisters of Battle; Sisters of Silence.

Chaos forces: Ka'Bandha's Khorne Daemons; Tzeentch Daemon Legions and cultists.

His own forces: Human armies, War Angels, Void Angels, Ogryn heavy squads, Storm Group regiments, Redemption Fleet.

Chaos allies: Over 50,000 Chaos Space Marines from the Terror Legion.

Xenos allies: T'au Empire forces, Orks, Tyranids, with Craftworld Aeldari and Necron allies in negotiations.

Looking at this formidable roster, Eden saw one word: "Loyalty."

The coalition assembled for this Plague War encompassed nearly every major power in the galaxy.

A truly unprecedented alliance of the Imperium, Chaos, and Xenos, united to crush the Plague Lord and his moth-faced lackey.

He brimmed with confidence. How could such a loyal and united army possibly lose?

"Savior."

Tarko entered quickly, delivering his report:

"The Usvaith Craftworld Aeldari and Necron Overlord Xathrazusa have agreed to your alliance proposal. They will mobilize to Ultramar to aid in the defense against the Plague Lord."

Eden closed the file with satisfaction.

"Excellent. Now we're complete. No regrets."

Even without these two allies, victory was far from impossible.

But every additional force widened their advantage and saved lives.

Nurgle's armies were no pushover. Eden refused to let this become a pyrrhic victory.

Furthermore, such a diverse coalition enabled him to craft far more targeted, effective strategies.

Why had the Usvaith Craftworld Aeldari and Overlord Xathrazusa agreed so readily?

Simple.

For the Aeldari, Eden offered materials to forge Spirit Stones – an offer they could not refuse.

Of course, he didn't actually possess them yet.

But once he retrieved the Goddess Isha from Nurgle's Garden and made her weep, he would have plenty to trade. Perhaps enough to secure a small Craftworld in return.

As for Xathrazusa, the reason was even simpler.

His Tomb World had been picked clean by Eden's Ork forces. When he tried retaliating against nearby Orks, he lost even more.

He was now utterly destitute.

Coincidentally, Eden's territory had discovered an abandoned Tomb World whose Overlord had gone mad and vanished. It still held vast Necron constructs.

Eden offered him some non-essential artifacts as payment for his service.

The Necron Overlord had accepted with embarrassing eagerness, fearing Eden might change his mind.

"He must be so grateful to me," Eden mused.

Indeed, Xathrazusa had practically sprinted out the door and had just messaged to say he was already en route.

With his loyal armies assembled, the coalition was ready to march.

Eden finished his paperwork and rose, asking as he walked:

"Is logistics ready? We'll need more supplies than ever before."

Tarko followed behind.

"All supplies have been secured, my lord. Contingency plans are in place to prevent any shortages."

"Good. Make sure supply lines remain open. This war's material demands will surpass all previous campaigns."

For Eden, victory alone was not enough. He had to win while saving as many lives as possible.

A scorched, lifeless world was no victory at all.

But against Nurgle, this was a near-impossible challenge. His corruption could defile every material on a planet, robbing humanity of its means to survive.

Even if the plague was purged, nothing left would be usable. Thus vast reserves of supplies, medicines, and purification agents needed to be sent to Ultramar.

Only then could mass starvation and death be averted.

As Eden reached the Sanctum's entrance, his dark golden shuttle awaited him.

He boarded along a carpet of shadow-gold leather.

The shuttle shot skyward, bound for the outer orbital dock where his flagship, Dream, awaited departure.

They would set forth for Ultramar.

(End of Chapter)

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