The lower decks of the Forge-Hammer, Fane.
The comm-bead in Nareth's ear buzzed. He raised a hand to press it.
Arsena's voice sounded in his ear: "My Lord, I bring unfortunate news."
"Lord Carlo of the Fifth Chapter has fallen in the assault on the Squat Hold."
Nareth's eyes darkened, a shock running through him. He knew Carlo was equipped with the Saturnine Pattern Terminator prototype armor.
Although a prototype, this armor, utilizing conversion fields, represented the pinnacle of current Astartes defensive technology. Only a handful of hand-forged suits possessed greater defensive capability.
"I want the battle report."
Nareth turned and strode out of the Fane, simultaneously sending a message to Rosicky.
"Prepare for teleportation."
Rosicky and the other Techmarines were also equipped with Terminator armor to enhance their safety while repairing armaments on the battlefield.
They wore the Cataphractii Terminator Armor, more suitable for their duties than the Saturnine Pattern.
Malevolus and Rosicky had modified Nareth's armor with teleportation modules. Linked via teleport synchronizers to the teleport transponders of senior officers, he could rapidly arrive on the battlefield.
Nareth boarded the newly built elevator sized for the Shadows of Order.
As the elevator ascended rapidly, he swiftly reviewed the received briefing.
'The High Kâhl and his Einhyr Heartguard, two powerful Grimnyr… no, Grimnyr Lords.'
'The Honor Guard retrieved Carlo's body. The Apothecary's examination found only injuries from a heavy weapon attack on the side of the knee, yet he had lost all vital signs.'
'A darkstar weapon?'
Nareth pressed the comm-bead, issuing orders:
"Bring Carlo back. Inter him within the Saturnine Dreadnought."
Although Carlo had lost vital signs, his consciousness likely had not yet perished.
Judging from the darkstar weapon's strike location, the damaged bodily functions did not include the brain.
"As you command, Father," the commander of the Fifth Chapter Honor Guard responded.
With a clang, the elevator stopped. Nareth strode onto the teleportation platform and commanded:
"Initiate teleport!"
Light flared, enveloping Nareth's form.
In an instant, Nareth appeared on the outskirts of the Squat Hold.
His consciousness expanded, grasping the battlefield situation in a moment.
He immediately noticed the High Kâhl in resplendent armor leading his Einhyr Heartguard in a counterattack.
The Fifth Chapter relied on numerical superiority to hold the line, but wherever the High Kâhl and the Grimnyr appeared, the lines were continuously breached.
Nareth spread his golden wings behind him. In a flash, he appeared before a nearby Grimnyr.
The Second Grimnyr saw the black-armored, golden-winged giant and immediately recognized the danger.
Runes on his entire body, his back, and the two COG drones beside him activated fully, flashing with dazzling light.
A torrent of telekinetic force erupted. Rubble and debris were hurled aside.
Nareth focused his will. Telekinetic force surged.
BOOM! ROAR!
The two telekinetic forces collided. The Second Grimnyr was immediately hurled away.
Nareth drew the Sword of Vaul. Blue-white light flashed. The energized blade slashed diagonally, cutting the two mind-impulse servitors in half at the waist.
Deprived of Warp-circuit support, the Second Grimnyr found it increasingly impossible to contend with the gene-primarch.
Light and shadow flickered in the Primarch's eyes. With a push of his right hand, the Second Grimnyr Lord's body uncontrollably levitated.
Another press, and the Second Grimnyr Lord plummeted faster, smashing heavily onto the ground.
Telekinetic force pressed down upon his resilient form.
Amidst a series of explosive cracks, the Second Grimnyr's body was torn apart, scattering on the ground.
The Primarch's precise psychic control preserved the runes intact.
At the same moment, the Chief Grimnyr Lord sensed his death. He immediately shouted into his comm-bead to the High Kâhl.
"Lovitus is dead! A powerful enemy is now on the battlefield. Converge with me. We must kill him together."
The two rapidly moved towards each other's marked rune positions. As the Chief Grimnyr Lord sprinted at high speed, he suddenly noticed the High Kâhl's rune had stopped.
He thought, 'This is bad,' and quickened his pace, charging towards the rune's location.
At the same time, Nareth had already encountered the High Kâhl and his guard.
The Einhyr Heartguard raised their Etacarn-pattern plasma guns, firing dense beams into the air.
Runes on Nareth's armor flashed with light. An invisible personal energy shield expanded, enveloping his black armor.
Rosicky had equipped his armor with a reactor identical to those in the Saturnine prototypes and performed a series of modifications.
His golden wings allowed him to retain his agility advantage while adding dual-layer protection of a personal energy shield and a conversion field.
Energy enveloped the armor's surface at a distance of one meter, forming the outermost layer of protection.
The middle layer was the conversion field contained within. The innermost layers were the scales of the Ironhide Kraken and the sturdy armor itself.
Energy beams crashed against the personal energy shield, causing a series of detonations.
The reactor provided ample power for the personal energy shield, offering stronger protection than the armor of a typical Shadow of Order.
The plasma beams were blocked before they could deplete the conversion field.
Nareth descended. To swiftly kill the High Kâhl, he used "Force," converting the downward pull of gravity into upward buoyancy.
The High Kâhl, who had been charging in large strides towards the black-armored giant, now leapt upwards even faster.
To his shock, the High Kâhl found he could not control his body. Facing a powerful enemy, this was the most dangerous situation.
At that moment, a dazzling light enveloped his form.
The darkstar warhammer in the High Kâhl's hand crackled with electricity. He thought, 'The Ancestors protect!'
The Chief Grimnyr Lord had arrived in time.
Nareth's swinging Sword of Vaul clashed with the darkstar warhammer.
His eyes flashed as he looked at the short-statured psyker in dark grey robes.
'Like Miguel, a rare technology-oriented psyker.'
Nareth decided to kill the Chief Grimnyr Lord amplifying the High Kâhl first.
The "Baron of Corruption's" right hand pressed down. The "Force" applied to the High Kâhl's body instantly reversed.
Gravity slowed the High Kâhl's ascent. Seizing this moment, Nareth beat his wings and pounced towards the Grimnyr Lord.
The Chief Grimnyr Lord raised his staff. The bolts fired from the Bedrock-pattern boltguns in the hands of the two mind-impulse servitors glowed with light.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Nareth felt the bolts, enhanced by the technology-oriented psyker, strike the conversion field, causing violent tremors.
Whereas originally, boltgun fire posed no threat to the conversion field.
Nareth leapt between the mind-impulse servitors. Releasing his spirituality, he "Distorted" the Chief Grimnyr Lord's intent.
A surging telekinetic force swept over the two COG drones, crushing them into fragments, though their Warp circuits remained intact.
The Chief Grimnyr Lord knew escape was impossible.
He raised his staff, mustering his final strength, and applied it to the High Kâhl.
"For the Ancestors!"
The Chief Grimnyr Lord shouted before the Sword of Vaul pierced his brain, his head shredded by the disruption field.
The High Kâhl, having landed, saw the black-armored giant fly towards the Chief Grimnyr Lord and immediately sprinted over, but he was a step too late.
"For the Ancestors!"
He swung the darkstar warhammer, smashing it towards the black-armored giant.
The "Baron of Corruption's" arm swelled. He threw a punch with full force.
The "Hand of Order" instantly annihilated the electrical arcs.
The High Kâhl felt an irresistible, colossal force. It was the first time he had encountered a being stronger than himself.
Even an Ork Warboss could not match this strength.
The brutal force unleashed by the "Baron of Corruption" sent the darkstar warhammer flying.
The Sword of Vaul swung, and the High Kâhl's head shattered.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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