"Ms. Hathor," Alex's voice was steady and strong, like a mighty ship anchoring a storm, carrying a calmness that saw through the whole situation, "I understand your feelings stemming from the past, but what we face is not the controllable expansion of the Great Crusade era, but a cataclysm twenty years from now.
The Empire, this decaying machine, with its bureaucracy and red tape, is indeed hateful, but at this moment, it is the reality within whose framework we must operate."
His words precisely severed emotion from reality.
His finger pointed at the hideous, galaxy-rending predicted fissure on the holographic star map, as if pointing at the pulse of fate: "The Inquisition's inquiries, the High Lord' suspicions, are the inevitable noise and friction produced when this decaying machine operates.
Directly confronting them, expending precious energy to fight against the inertia of the entire Imperial system, will only cause the resources and time we should be investing in countering the true threat to be lost more quickly in this meaningless internal attrition.
What we need is efficiency, to buy time, not to ignite the sparks of another civil war right now—even if it's just a localized administrative conflict."
Alex's gaze met Hathor's, sharp and resolute: "Patience is not submission, but strategy. For the ultimate goal, we must, like a sharp blade entering the shadows, temporarily sheath our edge.
We need to utilize the rules, not be tripped by them, especially before our power is sufficient to completely disregard or reshape the rules."
His analysis was calm and practical, closely linking the grand crisis with the immediate constraints, clearly expounding the core philosophy of survival and action under the Imperial iron curtain.
Hathor's molten-gold pupils were locked onto the shocking fissure on the star map; Alex's words were like a rain of calm reason, thoroughly extinguishing the embers of anger in her heart ignited by memories.
She was silent for a few breaths; the Warmaster's instinct for weighing pros and cons finally overcame Horus's lingering arrogance.
Outside the window, the gaseous giant's clouds churned, like her thoughts settling into calm after an intense internal struggle.
"You are right, Governor," Hathor's voice returned to the steady tone of an administrative secretary; the helplessness and forbearance were clearly discernible, but the previous intense emotions had been replaced by deeper strategic considerations, "For the ultimate goal, to make up for… past mistakes, we must move forward in this suffocating quagmire."
She closed her eyes slightly, as if forcefully suppressing her instinctive aversion to inefficiency and constraints.
For a greater salvation, she chose temporary restraint.
When she opened her eyes again, the molten-gold light flickered with the cunning and pragmatism of a Legion Commander.
"Since the single Chapter designation 'Ash Knights' for thousands of Astartes is too sensitive and easily irritates those bureaucrats' fragile nerves… then why should we cling to one name? Let them see the scale they 'want' to see." Her thinking instantly became clear and aggressive.
Hathor's finger traced an imaginary line on the tabletop, as if outlining deployments on the star map.
"In my era, the immense power of the Legions often operated dispersed under the names of 'Expeditionary Detachments' or 'Special Strike Groups.' We can emulate its essence, but more thoroughly." She proposed a bold and practical plan: "Disperse the power of the Ash Knights, in company or battle group units, giving them different, temporary sub-designations.
For example, 'Rostov Expeditionary Force Vanguard Strike Group,' 'Mariupol Eradication Task Force,' 'Inquisition-Authorized Heretic Purification Company'… and so on.
The key is to have different actual companies use the same 'standard' company designation for external operations and written reports.
For example, when the First, Fifth, and Seventh Companies operate externally, they all uniformly refer to themselves as 'Fourth Battle Company' or 'Seventh Strike Company.'
Which numerical designation is used isn't important; what's important is to make outsiders believe it's always the same, appropriately-sized company performing different missions.
Externally, it will be announced that this is to deal with different types of threats in different areas within the Sub-Sector, with various Chapters or combat units temporarily integrated and allocated by you, the supreme Commander of the Expeditionary Force, and the Inquisitor Lord of the Outreach Ordo, according to authorization.
Actual command authority and logistical supply will still be controlled by the Ash Knights Chapter headquarters."
"This way," a faint arc, tinged with the wisdom of the Legion era and mockery of bureaucratic rules, appeared at the corner of Hathor's mouth, "on the surface, what we are mobilizing are only individual combat units that conform to 'Codex size' or are even always the 'same' company designation.
The Inquisition and the High Lord will see dispersed, clearly defined combat formations, or simply believe it's the same company performing missions in different locations, rather than a single Chapter entity so vast as to be terrifying.
Their fragile bottom line of tolerance will naturally not be easily touched.
As for internal unified command and coordinated operations… as long as we ourselves know whose power it is, the designations on flags and documents are merely smoke and mirrors, a numbers game to deceive mortals."
This proposal cleverly bypassed the Imperial bureaucratic system's rigid scrutiny of the size of single Astartes organizations, utilized the ambiguous authority granted by Alex's dual identity, and hid immense power under the guise of multiple "legitimate" tactical units, even further blurring the actual troop strength through "shared designations."
This was both a compromise with reality and a pragmatic evasion and mockery of rules, characteristic of the Legion era.
Alex seriously considered this suggestion.
He quickly assessed the feasibility of the plan: "This plan is feasible, Ms. Hathor. It can indeed largely alleviate the current 'concern' issue.
Designations as shields, numbers as mist… It cleverly utilizes the 'unwritten rules' of Imperial operation and the inertia of those bureaucrats' thinking."
He approved the plan, his tone decisive: "Especially the idea of 'shared designations' can greatly reduce the risk of detection." He instructed the Chapter's staff to immediately begin formulating detailed sub-designation plans, corresponding 'mission briefings,' and rotation rules for 'shared designations.'
"It seems we'll have to prepare several more flags with the same numbers for the warriors, and a matching 'script.'"
Hathor nodded slightly.
As she turned to look at the churning sea of sulfur clouds outside the window, deep within her molten-gold eyes, the ingrained impatience and disdain for the mortal bureaucratic system had not vanished, like eternal thunder deep within the clouds, but it was now covered by a cold, pragmatic calculation.
Patience and disguise were for the ultimate reckoning—whether against Chaos, or against these decaying shackles that hindered humanity's survival.
For the goal, she could temporarily play the role of a "secretary" within the rules, and cleverly twist those rules.
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