At this mont, the swarm of insects on the ground had been almost entirely eradicated. The few remaining creatures posed no significant threat, as they had lost their Hive Mind's command nodes.
These insectoid beasts were even less than wild animals—Tyranid organisms had no souls, only functioning as brutal killing machines. The remaining Space Marines, Battle Sisters, and Astra Militarum troops could easily eliminate any stragglers they encountered.
As for Genestealers, over the past few days, Lord Rhodes had worked with the Commissar and the Canoness to conduct a thorough inspection, ensuring that no one had been infected by the swarm. No one had gone bald, nor had any suspicious white bone-like growths appeared on their heads.
Genestealers, as a species, would always attempt to escape at the first sign of a Tyranid fleet's approach. If they failed to leave in ti, the Hive Mind would imdiately recall them to the mothership for absorption. Furthermore, for a Genestealer cult to develop, it required decades to propagate across multiple generations.
Soon, Rhodes descended to the surface to oversee the loading of supplies. A long journey awaited, so it was wise to stock up on extra food.
"Lord Rhodes, we've prepared a large supply of canned at, premium wheat-based compressed biscuits, and freshwater for you."
The Imperial Commissar directed several Astra Militarum soldiers as they loaded supplies onto Rhodes' King Joe.
Rhodes asked in a hushed tone, "These canned ats are safe, right? I've heard so places produce 'ant-cow' canned at. I've always been worried about eating that, so I usually heat the cans before eating."
After all, the grimdark cuisine of the Warhamr universe had its fair share of horrors. Before his monstrous enhancents, Rhodes had always eaten canned food with great caution, triple-checking that the at inside wasn't... moving.
Rumors even suggested that so Astra Militarum troops had to keep a knife at the ready when opening rations, as the contents occasionally offered surprises.
The Commissar laughed heartily.
"Lord Rhodes, you've heard that rumor too? First, you must understand—ant-cows are massive, highly aggressive creatures. Large-scale farming is prohibitively expensive. They're a rare commodity, typically reserved for limited military supply."
"This planet, however, is an agricultural planet that raises a large number of docile livestock. It also serves as a major Imperial Navy canned at production base. Rest assured, no ant-cows have ever been raised here. The canned at produced is of high quality, and our military rations don't even contain corpse starch."
Hearing this, Rhodes finally sighed in relief.
"Hahaha! Then load up with even more!"
"No problem. This planet lacks many things, but not canned food. I'll make sure you have enough supplies to last two years. These military rations have a shelf life of at least three to five years."
As the Commissar continued chatting with Rhodes, Canoness Anna pulled young Hospitaller Sister Elena aside.
"Elena, I have a special mission for you. Here's what you must do..."
"But, Canoness! Why not send a Battle Sister instead?"
"Lord Rhodes does not lack combat strength. What he lacks is soone to take care of him. You Hospitallers excel at that."
Before long, the cargo hold of the King Joe was filled with military rations and fresh water.
Rhodes approached Captain Dres, the Imperial Commissar, and Canoness Anna, nodding to them.
"Safe travels, Lord Rhodes. I believe we will et again. When that ti cos, I hope to fight by your side against the enemies of the Imperium." Dres nodded firmly.
"For the Emperor! For the Imperium! Lord Rhodes, go forth and fulfill your duty!"
The Canoness and all the Battle Sisters knelt on one knee, saluting Rhodes.
As a Half-Primarch, a chosen of the Emperor, he was worthy of receiving the highest honors from the Adepta Sororitas.
Rhodes smiled. "Captain Dres, Canoness Anna, Commissar Carter—I will miss fighting alongside you! The Emperor protects!"
With that, he boarded the King Joe and piloted the massive craft skyward.
Below, over a thousand Astra Militarum troops, Astartes warriors, and Battle Sisters waved farewell. Yet among them, Rhodes noticed sothing—or rather, soone—was missing.
"Strange... I don't see that young Hospitaller Sister. I'm leaving, so Elena is probably hiding in so cave, crying her eyes out, huh?"
Rhodes felt an odd sense of reluctance. "Damn, I haven't even given her my gene-seed yet!"
He shook his head and guided the King Joe into orbit.
Once in space, he summoned his Pedan starship. The 120-ter King Joe then transford, splitting into four sections. The central cockpit was stored inside the ship, while the remaining parts were attached to the vessel's underside.
The King Joe had grown too large to fit inside the cargo bay, so it had to be reconfigured to dock externally.
Upon entering the spaceship, Rhodes opened the cargo hold and began transporting crates of military rations and water into the storage area.
The Pedan starship was already stocked with plenty of compressed food and solid-state water—enough to feed a thousand people for a year. It also had a water recycling and filtration system.
However, the existing food consisted mainly of bland, gelatinous white paste. While highly nutritious, Rhodes found it utterly unappetizing. "Why eat paste when I have canned at?"
Just as Rhodes was preparing to depart—
Clang!
A massive crate of military rations suddenly crashed to the ground.
Rhodes instinctively reached for his Pedanium pistol.
"Ouch!"
From within the fallen crate, a young woman in a white dical uniform tumbled out, rubbing her sore backside as she sat on the floor.
Rhodes blinked. "Well, damn. This ration crate did surprise !"
"Elena?! When did you sneak aboard? Are you alone, or did soone else smuggle in too?"
Rhodes holstered his pistol and crouched in front of the young Hospitaller, narrowing his eyes.
Elena smiled sheepishly and stuck out her tongue. "L-Lord Rhodes, it's just ! Canoness Anna ordered to co. She said I should take care of your daily needs."
Rhodes stroked his chin. "Take care of ? And how exactly are you supposed to do that?"
A beautiful young Hospitaller accompanying him on a long, boring space voyage? Well, that certainly had its perks.
Elena tilted her head in confusion. "Just... taking care of you, of course!"
Rhodes smirked. "You stink. Go take a bath, and then I'll give you a shot."
Elena nodded. Due to the Tyranid invasion, she and the main force had been constantly on the move. She hadn't bathed in over ten days, and she indeed slled unpleasant.
"Oh! Alright. But, um... Lord Rhodes, what kind of shot are you giving ?"
She was used to administering injections, not receiving them.
PS: Back shot!
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