If the Lord of the Ten Terra Legions were to split their votes evenly, the situation would remain deadlocked.
Therefore, in the vote for this audacious plan, the Grand Master had a vote, making a total of eleven votes to decide the Legion's next course of action.
The Space Marines, like precise war machines, acted with lightning speed once a decision was made.
Seven votes were in favor of the plan; seven Lords of the Legion were willing to execute the Grand Master's aggressive strategy.
The First Legion had been dormant for a long time, and the Legion's high command sought to inspire their confused Legion brothers with a grand victory.
Without the Grand Master's decisive vote, the Lords of the Legion had made their choice.
Three dissenting votes represented the last vestiges of reason within the First Legion, but alas, they could not stem the Legion's fervor.
"Excellent!" Urian's stern, taut face broke into a slight smile for his Legion brothers. "We shall be united!"
He turned to the three dissenters, his gaze like a piercing blade. "The minority obeys the majority. The plan will be executed, and there will be no more dissenting voices."
This was a warning: the three Lords of the Legion had to obey the Legion's actions unconditionally.
"We will obey your plan." They knelt before the Grand Master, their deep voices expressing submission.
Urian nodded with satisfaction. Under the catalyst of external threats, a temporary alliance was forged within the Legion.
When the fleet set its sights on Rangdan, external pressure forced the various Terra Legions to set aside their past grievances.
United in appearance, harmonious in spirit, the Legion's glory would surely be reforged.
As for the Rangdan threat? The First Legion was invincible!
"How will you gain command of the army?" the Lord of the Fifth Legion asked Urian. He wanted to know how the Grand Master intended to mobilize an army that belonged to a Primarch.
This was the key to the plan; without a massive mortal force, everything was mere talk.
"Disguise an alien vessel and intrude into the rendezvous point," Urian lowered his voice, explaining to his brothers in a deep tone.
"Once there's a risk of intelligence leaks, the Legion will have temporary command to proactively attack the aliens."
"You're mad…" The Lord of the Fifth Legion looked horrified. "You're willing to fabricate military intelligence to provoke a battle and cleanse the Legion's disgrace?"
"Using a false temporary situation to coerce all forces into launching a preemptive attack on the aliens."
"Do you know the consequences of doing this?" He couldn't believe the Grand Master was so crazy. "Once discovered, your actions will escalate to affect the entire Legion."
"It will exhaust the mortals' trust in the Space Marines and utterly shatter the Legion's honor."
"The Emperor will not forgive us, and the Gene-Father will not approve of us doing this."
The other Lords of the Legion looked at each other, and a ripple of panic stirred within the hearts of the resolute and courageous Space Marines.
The Grand Master's scheme was bordering on madness, and his actions were even more so—
He was staking everything: the Legion's glory, the Astartes warriors' credibility, and even his own future.
Those who had initially approved the plan now had flickering hesitation in their eyes, opening their mouths to try and stop the deepening madness.
"That's if it's discovered!" Urian retorted loudly, his voice echoing in the dim room, overpowering the dissenting voices.
"We will do it cleanly, leaving no trace."
The Grand Master raised his hand and clenched his fist, his gauntlet and knuckles cracking. He stood before the table, looking at each person.
"This is a rendezvous point near the battlefield; accidents can happen at any time."
"Through a 'small measure,' the Legion gains a legitimate reason to take command of the army."
"Think about it, brothers." Urian's words were highly inflammatory, stirring the Lords of the Legion's craving for victory.
"The First Legion will lead a grand army, charging into the worlds occupied by the aliens and wiping them clean."
"The accompanying scribes will remember the Legion's decisiveness, its 'sharp' counterattack against the aliens."
The Lords of the Legion imagined such a scene in their minds, their breathing becoming rapid, as if they saw victory within reach.
"Agreed!"
After a debate, most of the Legion's high command ultimately agreed to the Grand Master's plan.
Just as he said, if they did it cleanly, no one would notice.
"We will go prepare and get the Legion ready for battle." The dissenters left; they were outnumbered and could not reverse the established facts.
The dissenters silently withdrew. Though they disdained the plan, they still prepared for the coming battle.
"I will keep a memorandum," the Lord of the Fifth Legion said, looking deeply at the Grand Master before leaving, "to give an account to the Gene-Father in the future."
"You may." Urian nodded impassively, agreeing. "But I hope you keep it a secret."
"I will not reveal a single detail of what just transpired." With that, the Lord of the Legion turned and left.
The secret meeting concluded, and the First Legion began to execute the plan.
Within the First Legion's fleet, a ship's records were completely deleted; it was as if it had never appeared in the order of battle.
At the Grand Master's instruction, the ship underwent intensive secret modifications, then quietly left the fleet and headed into the void.
It would play the role of an intruder, breaking the silence of the rendezvous point.
On the bridge of the First Legion Gloriana-class Battleship, the Indomitable Truth, Urian stood at the viewport, gazing at the starry sky, constantly calculating the time in his mind.
"Woo~~~"
A piercing alarm sounded within the ship, and the alarm arrays of the Forge World shattered the clouds.
An alien battleship emerged from the Warp into real space.
"Unknown vessel entering the star system! Ship silhouette matches 'Rangdan' vessel!" The battleship's cogitator arrays issued an alert, a mechanical voice echoing throughout the entire fleet.
"It's here!" Urian Bendegre took a deep breath, his heart trembling involuntarily.
A highly disguised battleship, masquerading as an alien vessel, was the beginning of the Legion's seizure of command.
"Destroy the vessel immediately! Don't let them escape!" Urian's tense roar echoed through the communication channel as the Grand Master ordered an attack.
His anxious voice was just right, with a hint of panic mixed in.
He felt a slight pang of guilt; the lives of all the mortal crew on the disguised battleship had been sacrificed.
The communication channel of that ship was locked, unable to send any signals.
"Abomination Exemplar is engaging." The report came again through communications; another Gloriana-class battleship had launched an attack first.
All the warships at the rendezvous point started their engines, moving to encircle the intruding alien vessel.
Everyone knew that the intruding alien battleship in the Shana Star System had to be destroyed to prevent its escape.
"Connect to the Adeptus Mechanicus Archmagos." Urian's expression was solemn as he sat on the command throne.
A holographic image brightened, revealing the mechanical body of the red-robed Archmagos, who held a gear-axe.
"Grand Master Urian." The Archmagos had extensive integrated modifications; his entire lower jaw had been removed and replaced with an external vocal array.
His voice was cold, revealing the unique chill of machinery. "I am aware of your intentions."
"Based on my calculations, the Imperial army's assembly may have already been compromised."
One of the Archmagos' bionic eyes projected an image, cold mathematical logic flickering. "The current situation is extremely critical."
"Yes." Urian went with the flow, following the Archmagos' words. "Archmagos, we must launch an attack and seize the initiative."
"It will be a long time until the Primarch arrives; we cannot keep waiting and allow the aliens to prepare for war."
"The fleet must take the offensive and deliver a swift strike against the aliens."
The Archmagos did not answer immediately. He lowered his head, a green data stream flowing through his eyes.
"The data supports your conclusion." After a long pause, the Archmagos raised his head, the data stream surging in his eyes, and looked at Urian's face. "A preemptive strike is the best option."
"According to the battlefield emergency regulations, Urian Bendegre, you now have command of the army."
At this moment, the cold mechanical voice sounded like heavenly music to Urian's ears.
He nodded heavily, his fingers twitching, his heart filled with excitement as he took on immense authority.
Now, the vast fleet obeyed him; the Adeptus Mechanicus forces, the Mortal Auxiliary Army, and the Titan Legion submitted to his will.
"Thank you for your support, Archmagos." Urian saluted the Archmagos. "I will lead the fleet to the Morse Solar System and destroy the alien outpost."
"Fair winds." The Archmagos nodded, then closed the holographic image.
Urian took a deep breath, his inner turmoil raging. He looked out at the starry sky beyond the viewport.
The disguised battleship was blasted into fragments, its exploding sparks like fireworks celebrating the plan's success.
After a brief moment of excitement, Urian opened a secret communication channel and whispered, "Completely destroy the disguised battleship. Leave no trace."
"Understood."
On the other end of the channel, a cold voice replied, devoid of any emotion.
For the smooth execution of the plan, Urian was cold and ruthless, sacrificing tens of thousands of mortal crew members.
Looking at the exploding battleship, as if he could hear the wails of the mortals, the Grand Master silently suppressed his pity.
"All sacrifices will eventually be rewarded!"
A flurry of rapid orders was issued, and the First Legion displayed remarkable efficiency, showcasing its combat prowess.
However, amidst the intense and urgent commands, astute individuals sensed something was amiss.
It was as if it had been premeditated; the First Legion's swift response made it seem as though they had been prepared all along.
The xenos vessel appeared too abruptly, entering the star system precisely within the First Legion's firing range.
Furthermore, there was only one vessel, as if it had deliberately intruded into the assembly point.
The firepower projected by the First Legion was even more abnormal, enough to atomize that warship, as if they were destroying evidence and concealing a secret within.
All these unusual circumstances left the urgently mobilized troops enveloped in a cloud of suspicion.
Despite everything being out of the ordinary and hinting at something unsavory, no one dared to question it.
mortal officers led their Legions onto the ships, following the Astartes to conquer worlds and destroy the unclean xenos.
Adeptus Mechanicus members cooperated, their Skitarii boarding ships, and Titan God-Machines walked into Titan transport vessels.
The Imperium's population numbered in the trillions, and the soldiers who joined the Mortal Auxiliary Army were all elites, hand-picked from countless worlds.
The mortals who served as high-ranking officers were even more exceptional, one in a million individuals.
The Adeptus Mechanicus was no exception; every Archmagos held the positions of Forge Master, Grand Strategist, and High Official.
They may have long sensed the various irregularities, yet chose to remain silent, observing the unfolding events.
No one raised questions or dared to obstruct the current operation.
The existence of the phrase 'what if' suppressed any rising doubts.
What if the xenos truly intruded into the assembly point, discovered the vast Imperial forces gathered, and sent intelligence back to their homeworld?
If the Imperial army did nothing, it would be a dereliction of duty to the Emperor.
Moreover, the First Legion's proactive stance struck a chord with the leaders of many factions.
After an incident occurs, someone always has to take responsibility, and it was certainly excellent that the Astartes were willing to bear it.
An Old Terra proverb states: 'When the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up.'
The First Legion was that 'tall one,' and the Space Marine Legion's actions complied with the emergency war regulations.
The vast army, swept along by the First Legion, embarked on the campaign to eradicate the Rangdan.
"Send an Astropathic message to the Primarch; everything we have done complies with Imperial law."
Urian had drawn everyone into the vortex with his audacious plan, but the deepest unease still lurked within him.
The Emperor's Son from Terra, the Primarch of the Twenty-First Legion.
Actions on the front line must be reported to the highest commander of the army, explaining the legality of the operation.
The Astropathic Choir received the command, and in the ship's dedicated chamber, they sang around a main speaker, transmitting Urian's order.
Having completed all this, Urian breathed a sigh of relief.
He sat on the command throne, his eyes glinting with cold light, pouring his full attention into the operational planning.
To unite the Legion, he had deceived everyone, even daring to offend the Primarch.
The First Legion must achieve victory, no matter the cost!
Assuming failure…
Urian dared not even imagine the cost of failure.
How to face a Primarch? How to face those who sacrificed for his insane plan?
Soon, under the First Legion's coordination, all units boarded their warships, and the vessels departed the port, preparing to enter the Warp.
The vast fleet set off towards the Morse Solar System, heading directly for the xenos outpost.
The Astropathic communication, sent by the Astropaths, traveled rapidly through the Warp, finally reaching the Astropathic Chamber of the Royal Majesty.
Upon receiving the message, the Astropaths quickly deciphered it, interpreting the true meaning of the metaphors.
Astropathic communication differed greatly from conventional communication; its messages were not conveyed directly.
Its meaning was quite complex, usually consisting of various metaphors and allegories, or poems and images.
The deciphered result greatly astonished the Astropath, who dared not delay and presented the content to the Primarch.
"A xenos enemy vessel intruded into the Shana Star System. To prevent intelligence leaks, the current Grand Master of the First Legion—Urian Bendegre—activated emergency protocols and launched a preemptive attack on the xenos?"
Hearing Sophia relay the Astropathic report, Blazkowicz's eyebrows rose, his face displeased: "Does he take me for a fool?"
The Primarch's voice was low, not loud, but the anger within it was undeniably real.
Whoosh~~~~
Everyone on the bridge knelt on one knee, heads bowed, not daring to speak, even the hovering Iron Man lowered its altitude.
"Rise," Blazkowicz exhaled, immediately realizing his lapse, and raised a hand to signal them to stand. "This has nothing to do with you."
"Grand Master Urian Bendegre?" He narrowed his eyes: "He had better not mess up this operation."
The First Legion. Blazkowicz had long heard of their modus operandi.
They were the oldest Legion, the first organized Legion forged by the Emperor.
The Legion carried ancient glory, which was their unyielding pride.
The conquests of other Legions were often against stubborn worlds, with negotiations being the primary method.
The First Legion was different; they treated everyone equally, bringing equivalent destruction to Human Worlds and xenos alike.
They used violence against those willing to surrender, and violence against those unwilling to surrender.
Conquest through violence seemed to have become the First Legion's reliance, leaving behind fragmented worlds wherever they went.
"Fleet, change course, proceed directly to the Morse Solar System," Blazkowicz said to the air on the bridge, which was actually an order to Navigator Fransisca.
He had a very bad premonition that the operation against the Rangdan would suffer heavy losses due to the First Legion's recklessness.
"Re-select the course, proceed to the Morse Solar System," Fransisca's soft voice sounded, and a new course was planned on the holographic display.
"Fleet, stay close to the flagship, advance to the new destination," Sophia dispersed the fleet commands via quantum communication.
"Sophia," Blazkowicz called his loyal servant, looking directly at her blue projection: "Three days before the ships approach the destination, have all combat units prepare."
Blazkowicz had to be prepared to clean up the mess left by the First Legion.
"Understood." Sophia bowed, adding her master's command to the memo.
Having given all instructions, Blazkowicz left the bridge and headed to the training deck to guide the Doom Slayers.
After six years in the normal time stream, the Destroyer Legion's numbers had reached four hundred.
Argent Nur originally had one hundred and fifty, and later two hundred more were sent, and after training, they were assigned to the Second, Third, and Fourth Fleets.
The fifty newly adapted from Terra were personally guided by Blazkowicz, brought to the front lines to fill high-end combat roles.
At this moment, on the Royal Majesty's training deck, golden light shimmered.
One thousand Custodian Guards, without the tension of Terra, chatted leisurely on the training ground, completely relaxed.
Leaving Terra was, for the golden-armored warriors, akin to a relaxing holiday.
In their leisure time, they came to the training deck to watch the Primarch instruct the Doom Slayers.
Blazkowicz stood still, no longer approaching the training ground, and without turning, asked Ra behind him: "Ra, do you have anything to say?"
On the bridge, upon learning of the First Legion's actions, Ra's psychic link had transmitted a surge of emotional fluctuation.
Blazkowicz did not believe it was a coincidence; the Doom Slayers' emotions were very stable.
"At that time, you had not yet returned, and the Legion was just taking shape." As one of the original Doom Slayers, Ra naturally knew what had happened then.
His voice was clear, bright with enthusiasm, as he slowly explained to his Gene-Father: "The Eldest Son once had some conflicts with Hektor Seran, the then Grand Master of the First Legion."
"What exactly happened, we do not know; both of them deliberately avoided discussing that conflict."
"Blazkowicz?" Blazkowicz pondered, looking at the shimmering golden light, and murmured his Eldest Son's name.
"Did such a thing happen?" Blazkowicz had scoured the Legion records and remembered clearly that there was no mention of it.
"Yes." Ra nodded, his posture as straight as a pillar: "It was not a deliberate concealment from you, but due to the special nature of the incident, it was not recorded in the Legion archives."
"Do I need to send an Astropathic message to inquire of Lord Blazkowicz?" Sophia's figure appeared, bowing as she asked her master.
"No need," Blazkowicz shook his head, refusing: "There's no need to bother him; I will know when the time is right."
"Understood." Sophia slowly retreated, then vanished into light particles.
Blazkowicz had some inklings in his heart; the conflict at that time was very likely one of the triggers for this unexpected event.
Hektor Seran was already dead.
He died in a battle with xenos; the War Council combat records showed that the First Legion suffered heavy casualties in that battle.
The Grand Master's successor, perhaps for some reason, wanted to prove something to himself through battle.
Blazkowicz strode forward, walking towards the training ground.
All secrets would be revealed once they reached the front lines.
There was much to do now: organize the army, prepare for war, and get ready to face the most brutal battles.
The massive fleet broke through the Warp barrier and returned to the real universe.
The glow of the fleet's engines was as numerous as the stars, and from Morse World, it seemed as if a thousand stars had suddenly appeared in space.
They came to the Morse Solar System, bearing humanity's wrath, to deliver destruction to the hateful Xenos.
The fleet's Augur arrays were fully activated, and a massive amount of data poured in through them, displayed in real-time on the bridge of the Indomitable Truth.
The Morse Solar System was rich; it had a star, a habitable world, and several mineral-rich worlds.
But it was also not peaceful. The Xenos had utilized the star system's natural resources to build it into a fortress star system.
The orbits of every world were densely packed with defense platforms, and the void was filled with fire traps.
This was merely the surface; the density of hidden defensive emplacements was even greater.
"Fleet, spread out and form battle formation," Urian immediately ordered, instructing the fleet to first disperse and enter standard combat procedures.
The fleet assembled here was the Imperium's battle-hardened army. With just a simple command, the Captains knew what to do.
The vast fleet spread out, increasing the distance between ships, and formed a battle formation in the void.
"Grand Master, a communication is coming in," the communications officer turned and looked at the Grand Master, awaiting his command.
"Patch it through," Urian nodded, standing ramrod straight.
A holographic projection lit up, and the image displayed caused the Grand Master's expression to change, his eyes burning with fury.
"Traitor!" He gritted his teeth, cursing the person in the holographic image: "You abandon human dignity to serve as a Xeno's lackey."
Indeed, a Human appeared in the holographic image, dressed in simple rags.
Through the intelligence from the Fifth Legion, it was known that the Rangdan Xenos possessed psychic control methods. When truly facing Humans, the Grand Master could not hide his inner rage.
In the holographic image, the gaunt Human's face was ferocious as he warned the Grand Master: "Human, get out of here!"
Then his expression changed again, adopting a docile and respectful look: "This place belongs to my Lord."
The Grand Master sternly rebuked, setting the tone for the war: "Tell your master that we come bearing destruction, vowing to utterly annihilate them!"
A war of extermination!
The man suddenly knelt, his face incredibly devout, praising the Xenos' greatness: "My Lord has conquered hundreds of Human Worlds; you will be the same, subservient to their great will!"
"Hopeless!" The Grand Master shook his head, raising his chin, looking disdainfully at the Human who had become a Xeno's lackey: "Tell them to clean their necks and await humanity's slaughter!"
With that, without giving any chance for rebuttal, the Grand Master gestured to cut the communication.
The enslaved Human's angry curses of rebuttal had just left his mouth when the communication was severed.
"Order the fleet to attack without restraint." Knowing the situation, Urian felt a sense of relief.
Humans who become Xeno servants can only be purified of their defilement through destruction.
"Humans controlled by Xenos are no longer our kin; they have no free will and have become loyal lackeys of the Xenos!"
The Grand Master suppressed his rage, his eyes narrowed slightly, but his taut nerves suddenly relaxed.
In a war without scruples, the First Legion had countless means to defeat the Xenos!
"Understood!" The Lord of the Legion responded, leading their respective fleets to attack the Xeno creations in the void.
The Imperium of Man's battleships aggressively surged into the void, clearing the Xeno contamination within the star system.
With three Gloriana-class Battleships as the core, the fleet split into three main forces and a dozen smaller fleets, attacking simultaneously from various directions.
Constantly cruising the void, the Imperium's elite fleet displayed formidable strength.
They did not have the precise calculations of the Argent Nur fleet; their battle-hardened instincts alone were enough to overwhelm the enemy.
As the Human battleships advanced, they engaged the first wave of Xeno defense platforms.
The Rangdan Xenos' technology was also powerful; energy weapons like lance weapons had the same output as the Imperial side.
This was an evenly matched battle; there was no technological disparity.
The defense platforms, relying on their size, had even stronger firepower and shields. A few volleys could overload a battleship's void shield.
But the Imperial fleet was not foolish enough to stand still and exchange fire with the defense platforms.
Each battleship formation communicated frequently internally, utilizing the ships' flexibility to rotate resistance against the defense platforms' firepower.
The two sides battled in the void, beginning a long-range artillery duel.
Lance weapons and macro cannons roared in unison. Augurs locked onto targets, divination arrays calculated variables, and the timing of weapon launches was just right.
Blazing lance weapons streaked across the void, and ship thralls worked in unison, loading massive macro cannon shells into the acceleration chambers.
Plasma and lance weapons flew, and macro cannon shells, accelerated to one-tenth the speed of light, bombarded the defense platform shields.
The fleet fully deployed, engaging their marked enemies, and the situation looked excellent.
The Abomination Exemplar, the Indomitable Truth, and the Truth Razor, like three sharp blades, pierced into the core of the star system.
The Indomitable Truth was even more aggressive, aiming directly for the Xenos' lair in the Morse Solar System—Morse World.
Urian's vigilance gradually relaxed. The Xenos were indeed dangerous, but the Imperium's main fleet held an absolute advantage.
Just as the Grand Master lowered his guard and prepared to plan a landing operation, an anomaly appeared in the communication channel.
"Grand Master! Xeno battleships have appeared behind us!"
An urgent voice came through, the mortal Captain's report was hurried and fearful, as if he had seen something terrifying.
While Urian disdained mortal courage, he immediately looked at the holographic image, and what he saw made him, an Astartes created by the Emperor, gasp.
It was a gigantic battleship with a terrifying appearance, filled with ugliness and disgust.
Only then did Grand Master Urian suddenly realize that the information provided by the Fifth Legion might just be the tip of the Rangdan iceberg.
The battleships that the Fifth Legion landed were Human servant battleships, similar in style to the Imperium.
The true Xeno battleships now appeared in the void; they were extremely blasphemous and terrifying creations.
Perhaps the battleships seen now were the true Rangdan Xenos.
A long, strip-shaped battleship stretched across the void, its ten-kilometer gray-brown hull like a decaying giant whale, with fluorescent green pus oozing from the gaps in its scales.
In the gaps where the scaled armor opened and closed, there were worm-like structures that seemed to breathe.
The upper deck was slightly more normal, covered with what Humans recognized as "armor."
The lower part of the ship was nauseating, deviating from normal Human aesthetics; just one glance increased disgust.
Large amounts of biological hull tissue, connective tissue wrapped around wriggling energy conduits, like diseased, pale human intestines dotted with moldy spots, with long fibrous material trailing at the bottom.
Dense biological conduits wriggled as the battleship activated, flowing with fluorescent green energy streams.
The battleship's upper structure was even more disgusting; it was a structure resembling a pulsating giant brain, covered with dense red vascular tissue.
On both sides of the battleship, there were densely packed, anus-like wrinkled circular holes, which the Grand Master deduced were some kind of gunports.
The ugly Xeno battleship had a bone-like ram covered in scales at its bow.
The Grand Master frowned, forgiving the mortal Captain's panic.
The Xeno battleship's exterior was covered in biological organs, yet its engines were cast from steel, and plasma afterburners tore through the void.
Biological technology on the outside, mechanical technology as the skeleton, the hateful-looking battleship displayed a fusion of different sciences.
The fusion-tech battleship and the purely mechanical defense platforms were completely different in style.
"What exactly happened?" The Grand Master asked the Augur array supervisor; Xeno battleships could not appear out of thin air.
They not only appeared behind the fleet, but on the Augur, more and more Xeno battleship reactions appeared, with signals from twenty Xeno battleships in the star system.
The crew immediately reported, unraveling the mystery of the Xeno battleship's stealth: "Sir, the Xeno battleships use some kind of camouflage technology to conceal their signals; the Augurs cannot detect them."
"Attack them!" The Grand Master immediately ordered a preliminary wave attack to test the Xeno battleship's firepower.
The fleet immediately turned, detaching enough battleships to confront the Xenos' strange battleships.
Sizzle~ Sizzle~ Sizzle~
Soon, the Imperial battleships engaged the Xeno battleships, both sides firing at each other from long range.
Blue high-energy clusters shot out from the anus-like wrinkled holes; it was some kind of bio-plasma cannon.
The brain tissue organs vibrated rapidly, emitting flashes of lightning that struck the battleship's void shields.
The void shields flickered rapidly, overloading in an extremely short time, and lightning whips struck the Imperial battleships.
The battleships hit by lightning began to have unstable engines, and their ship lights gradually extinguished.
"Electromagnetic weapon attack! It will drain our battleships' energy, making us completely defenseless!"
Static crackled through the communication channel, and the first batch of battleships engaging the Rangdan Xenos sent back urgent alarms.
Battleships without shields were like lambs to the slaughter. The Rangdan battleships seized the opportunity, using their shields to withstand the Imperial battleship attacks, focusing fire on the defenseless ships.
A shower of sparks erupted in the void; in the void battle with the Xenos, the Human side was the first to pay the price.
Although the Imperium's fleet held a decisive numerical advantage, its overconfidence and aggressive advance led to the first combat losses.
The Rangdan warships, organized into formations of five, overloaded the void shields of the Imperial vessels with their initial electromagnetic bombardment. Their second volley of biological plasma cannons instantly destroyed a destroyer.
They were well-disciplined, clearly organized, and their crew's quality was on par with the Imperium's.
"Humans~ Slaves~ Kneel before us."
The xenos transmitted foul messages on the common channel, wantonly insulting humanity.
"Xeno mongrels! Feel the wrath of humanity!" The Grand Master of the Abomination Exemplar, filled with rage, rebuked the xenos on the common channel.
The mighty Gloriana-class Battleship bravely advanced, and at optimal range, its augur array locked onto the xeno warships.
With all her broadside weapon arrays blazing, the Abomination Exemplar unleashed her fury!
Macro cannons roared! Lance beams tore through the void! The scorching energy and the brilliance of the macro cannons illuminated the universe.
With just one volley, the terrifying firepower of the Gloriana-class instantly overloaded the xeno warships' shields.
The violent bombardment caused layers of the semi-organic warships' scales to peel off, biological tissue to instantly vaporize, and scorching energy liquid to splatter into the cold void.
The xeno warships "died" like living organisms, their wreckage silently disintegrating in the vacuum.
As the main fleet entered the engagement zone, their firepower compensated for the technological disparity, and victory gradually shifted towards the Imperium.
Twenty xeno warships, after destroying a few small vessels of the Imperium of Man, were repelled by the capital ships, leaving behind more than ten warship "corpses."
In the ensuing slaughter, they fled in disarray but managed to slip past the Imperial fleet's blockade.
In astronomical unit-scale combat, an unknown camouflage technology completely evaded visual and electronic tracking.
"Continue the attack!" The Grand Master continued to order the fleet to eliminate the defensive platforms and eradicate the void threat.
He selected all the landing warships and dispatched them towards Morse World, preparing for a planetary assault.
Urian's strategy was sound: eliminate the xeno void strongpoints to completely free up the fleet's combat space.
The planetary assault would clear out the xeno ground forces, causing the Rangdan to completely lose Morse World and their foothold for further expansion.
Conversely, humanity could use this as a staging point to continue their offensive into the Rangdan heartland.
The Morse Solar System had become a strategic key point; the First Legion had to take it!
On Morse World, augur scans reported relatively few planetary defense systems.
Originally a Human industrial world, it was now occupied by the Rangdan, who had exploited its resources, turning it into a chaotic mess.
Urian nodded. The sparse planetary defenses likely indicated that the xenos overly relied on void defenses and had built few ground fortifications.
"Commence the planetary assault! I will fight alongside you!" The Grand Master's communication was relayed to the landing fleet. He put on his helmet and headed to the landing craft.
Outside the planetary defense system, the landing fleet adjusted its posture, aiming the bellies of the warships at Morse.
Then...
Fifty thousand Space Marines of the First Legion, with ten thousand on orbital standby, and the rest committed to ground combat.
Urian intended to use a crushing lightning war to quickly annihilate the xenos entrenched on the planet.
All ten Heavenly Armies were deployed, establishing three landing points, and a million-strong Mortal Auxiliary Army poured out.
"Drop pods away." Urian gave his final order before leaving the bridge.
From high orbit, the ship's belly channels opened, and the first wave of vanguard warriors departed in drop pods.
At three locations, three thousand drop pods lightly penetrated the planetary shield, plummeting towards the planet's surface.
The Rangdan xenos on the ground, aside from activating the planetary shield, showed no signs of counterattack, as if they had resigned themselves to their fate.
Such abnormal behavior aroused some people's vigilance, but it quickly faded.
Forty thousand Astartes, used to conquer a single planet, meant no xeno could stop them.
As the drop pods landed, the warriors of the First Legion stepped onto the planet's surface. In the distance, a Hive City stood on the plains.
Then, they saw the Hive City gates wide open, and enslaved humans pouring out of it.
Ragged, emaciated humans, uniformed workers and middle-class, and richly dressed elites were all mixed together.
Without exception, all humans had been subjected to mental control by the xenos.
They held crude auto-weapons, with patches covering vital areas of their bodies, serving as simple defensive armor.
The people rushing out of the Hive City faced the Astartes without fear, only the devotion of fanatical cultists.
With their screams and shouts, the charge of millions began!
The ground trembled and rumbled under their footsteps.
Facing such a scene, only the resolute Astartes, the superhuman warriors, could remain composed.
"Establish a defensive line." The Legion's Company Captains quickly gave orders; their mission was to protect the landing zone.
The first sound of a bolter rang out, followed by a cacophony, and the ammunition fired by the brutal weapons wove into an impenetrable curtain of fire.
This was a massacre!
At the planet's three landing points, the same scene unfolded.
Fearless human slaves swarmed out of the Hive City, charging the Space Marines.
The warriors of the First Legion immediately established their positions, using their various weapons to slaughter the frenzied human army.
Precise bursts from bolters pierced through multiple enemies with each shot, then exploded within the crowd.
Incendiary weapon rays ignited large swathes of organic matter, burning them into piles of charred bones.
Heavy weapons, deployed with the drop pods, continuously projected firepower, smashing into the deranged crowds.
One thousand drop pods and four thousand Space Marines created an incredibly terrifying curtain of fire.
Their coordination was seamless, their reloading rhythm as precise as machinery, and the firepower never ceased.
Servo-skulls and auto-servitors continuously transported ammunition from the drop pods, replenishing the expended supplies.
Blood mist erupted within the slave army, and the shattered body fragments and organs from bolter explosions paved their path forward. Every step forward cost tens of thousands of lives.
Ordinary human forces, facing such a hellish meat grinder, would have long since crumbled.
But these were Rangdan slaves, their minds controlled, living expendables for the xenos, and humans continued to stream out of the Hive City.
Enduring the bolter bombardment, as if oblivious to their comrades falling around them, they relentlessly pressed towards the Space Marine positions.
Finally, at the extreme range of their auto-weapons, the mortals fired the first shot.
Although it had no effect, it carried extraordinary significance.
It proved that with sufficient numbers and unified will, mortals could pave a path with their lives to approach the Space Marine defensive line.
As the slaves drew closer, the Space Marines no longer needed to aim; any shot fired would not be wasted ammunition.
There were simply too many, so many that merely advancing would eventually allow them to encircle the Legion's defensive line.
The slave army gradually surged forward, their auto-weapons firing at the black-armored warriors, clanging against their power armor.
Just as the slaves rejoiced, a shadow fell from the sky.
The Legion's large-scale landing craft descended through the atmosphere, arriving at the landing zones.
Legion warriors continuously disembarked, immediately joining the battle and pushing back the human slave charge.
"I have a very bad feeling about this." The Lord of the Fifth Legion, always cautious, voiced his concerns as soon as he landed:
"The xenos haven't activated their planetary defense weapons, as if they deliberately let us land."
"I feel it too." Urian, helmeted, nodded gravely. Even the most sluggish commander should have noticed something was wrong, let alone an Astartes.
"It's possible that everyone on this planet has become a slave." The Lord of the Fifth Legion, holding a staff in one hand, pointed into the distance.
There was an endless tide of human slaves, old and young, even infants crawling in the throng.
From the elderly to toddlers, all surged towards the Space Marines like puppets.
To this point, what did the xenos look like? The First Legion knew nothing about them.
"Capture some mortals. I will set up a psychic array, hoping to gain some clues."
The Lord of the Fifth Legion said this to the Grand Master, then walked away, calling his psychic subordinates to enter a landing craft and begin setting up the psychic array.
Urian nodded, agreeing to his request.
"Expedite material transport. We are facing the entire population of this world!"
He then ordered two warriors to charge into the enemy lines under the cover of their brothers, to capture several mortals.
Inside the landing craft, at the center of the psychic array, several mortal captives were restrained.
Even now, their expressions remained fanatical, uttering foul words.
The Lord of the Fifth Legion ignored them, diligently performing the psychic ritual.
He was actively cautious, knowing that the xenos' mind-control abilities meant their psychic power must be extremely strong.
To be safe, he mobilized twenty psychic brothers, hoping to succeed in one attempt and glean intelligence on the xenos.
As the incantation was chanted, the psychic energy of twenty Astartes flowed into his body, and his consciousness pierced into the mortals' minds.
After a while, the mortals at the center of the array suddenly exploded into a mist of blood. The Lord of the Legion opened his eyes, his face pale, and he mumbled:
"We are in big trouble...."
The Lord of the Fifth Legion, the soul of a Space Marine, protected by twenty brothers, entered the mind of a mentally controlled mortal.
His soul plunged into the void, with boundless pure black before his eyes.
A mortal's soul should not be so empty; it should be vibrant and colorful, filled with the brilliance of emotions.
However, this pitch-black consciousness was covered with countless fine white cracks.
Looking closely, they were not cracks, but fine lines formed by white consciousness, like a spider web, entrenched in the mortal's consciousness, controlling thought fluctuations.
At the convergence point of the white spider web, a white light spot floated, appearing pure and harmless.
When the Lord of the Legion's conscious tendrils touched the white light spot, xenos knowledge instantly flooded his mind.
He had to do this, taking immense risks, to probe the xenos race's psyche and obtain relevant xenos intelligence.
The moment the outstretched conscious tendril touched the white light spot, xenos knowledge surged into his mind.
He glimpsed the underlying structure, basic intelligence of the Rangdan xenos, and even some of Morse's military deployments.
The Rangdan's war structure consisted of a massive army of controlled slaves at the bottom, elite warriors in the middle, and those at the top called "Warmaster."
The xenos had long anticipated the arrival of Humanity, and Morse was a meticulously set trap.
The Lord of the Legion's consciousness sank; he was even more eager to know more.
"Who is touching my mind?" Just as he was about to delve deeper, a strong mental wave arrived.
The white spider web cracks suddenly contracted, piercing towards the Lord of the Legion's consciousness, attempting to take over and control him in reverse.
Vast mental fluctuations, like an ocean, pressed in from the darkness, and the white spider web transformed into ropes, ensnaring the Lord of the Legion.
He was horrified. After years of probing mental worlds, he had never encountered such a powerful psyche.
It far surpassed an Astartes, extremely aggressive and domineering.
But the Lord of the Legion was not flustered; he was an Astartes, and his consciousness was protected by his brothers.
He condensed his consciousness into a sharp spike and thrust it towards the white light spot, aiming to destroy the xenos' consciousness.
"Ah!!!!"
A tragic mental fluctuation erupted, the white light spot was pierced through, and then shattered into countless irreparable cracks.
Another piece of information entered his mind, and the Lord of the Fifth Legion quickly processed the data.
The Rangdan xenos, with their powerful psychic abilities, could control races with weaker psychic strength.
This control was irreversible, a dual control of both mind and body.
The Rangdan's brain, being larger due to its prominent psychic abilities, secreted a unique brain fluid to sustain its function.
For the Rangdan, this brain fluid was a consumable for cleansing the brain, a physiological substance secreted and excreted daily.
But Rangdan brain fluid had another function.
If ingested by other races, even in tiny doses, the brain fluid would pollute the mind, establishing a psychic link with the brain fluid's owner, thereby achieving mental control.
"Human, you will get nothing from me!" The Rangdan uttered a venomous curse; the moment their consciousnesses touched, the xenos knew it was a Human spying on them.
The white light spot trembled unstably, shattering into glass fragments and disappearing into the dark consciousness space.
As the xenos' psyche departed, the mortal's mental world gradually collapsed, with no way to save it.
In the real world, the mortal's body exploded directly, turning into a cloud of blood mist.
The Lord of the Fifth Legion, his consciousness returning to his body, involuntarily shivered: "We are in big trouble—"
His voice was low, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, alleviating the after-effects of his consciousness leaving his body.
"Help me up," he motioned for his Battle Brothers to assist him, his tone urgent: "Take me to see the Grand Master, this is a trap…"
Urian stood in the command center, staring intently at the holographic map, his face resolute beneath his helmet, but his brows were furrowed.
Everything was normal at the landing zone; personnel and equipment were continuously descending from orbit, and the tactical deployment was proceeding smoothly.
In the distance of the front line, the Human charge continued, but the charging force had changed.
The old, weak, and sick were exhausted, and a meter-thick carpet of flesh and blood had accumulated on the ground.
The Human servants dispatched by the xenos, clad in carapaces and armed with standard auto-rifles, advanced and retreated with tactical precision.
In the wilderness outside the Hive City, the standard servant army, under the cover of the flesh and blood wall, set up heavy firepower positions, bombarding the landing zone's void shields.
Grand Master Urian's planned surprise attack, a swift and decisive victory like autumn leaves swept away, was dragged into a positional war of attrition by the massive numbers of slave cannon fodder.
"Urian Bendegre!" A weak and urgent call came from the command bunker's security door.
Urian looked up and saw the Lord of the Fifth Legion being supported by two Battle Brothers.
The Grand Master quickly went to meet him; he realized the seriousness of the situation, for a Lord of the Legion to drop his respect and call him by his name.
With one hand on his brother's chest plate, Urian turned, lifting his arm and placing it on his own shoulder.
"Why are you so weak?" Urian helped him to an armchair, his tone full of concern.
"A small side effect of the psychic power." The Lord of the Legion shook his head, taking off his gauntlet to reveal his large hand, "Take off your helmet, I don't have time to explain, I will directly transmit memories."
Normally, Urian would never allow psychic power to enter his mind, to prevent potential memory alteration.
But at this moment, he felt his brother's urgency, an emergency that could not be delayed.
Urian removed his ceramite helmet and bowed his head to his brother, the trust between them self-evident.
The Lord of the Fifth Legion raised his arm, psychic light flickering at his fingertips, and pressed his thumb to the Grand Master's temple.
With a zero-degree chill, Urian felt a segment of information enter his consciousness.
Psychic light emanated from his eyes as he saw the memories the Lord of the Legion had touched.
This was a trap; the Rangdan had set a snare here to test the Imperium's strength.
The Rangdan's Warmaster and elite warriors were hiding in the Human Hive City, using Human servants to deplete the Imperium's fighting strength.
Only when the First Legion was exhausted would they appear, to harvest the Imperium's living forces.
Urian staggered backward, supported by his guards, now knowing everything.
The Grand Master's mind was a chaos, momentarily lost in thought.
He knew that this operation had failed.
Under his leadership, the First Legion had charged into the Rangdan's trap, putting the fleet's billions of lives in danger.
How did the xenos know that the Imperium of Man would come here and prepare in advance?
"Tell the fleet to be wary of xenos surprise attacks." Urian shook his head vigorously to clear his mind, breaking free from his guards' support.
The Grand Master did not delve deeper; now was not the time to investigate intelligence leaks.
What needed to be solved immediately was how to arrange the next tactical moves to resist the Rangdan's assault.
"Notify the orbital fleet!" He shouted, his face pale and anxious: "Tell them to deploy war materials as quickly as possible."
Urian's order was decisive; the Grand Master would not withdraw his troops, but instead, would more actively pursue the landing operation.
"Urian Bendegre!" The Lord of the Fifth Legion stood up, pointing at the Grand Master and sharply rebuking him: "This is a trap, don't you understand?"
"We should retreat now, preserve our fighting strength, and wait for the Primarch to arrive."
"This battle, we have already lost, we must evacuate from here."
"Don't let your pride destroy the First Legion…" The Lord of the Legion's final words were like an plea, urging the Grand Master to leave:
"For the Legion…"
Inside the command center, the black-armored warriors standing in solemn attention glanced at the pleading voice; they had never seen a vulnerable Lord of the Legion.
"I know!" Urian's eyes were tearful; he took two steps forward and held his brother's shoulder plate, "I know everything, my dear brother."
"Precisely because of this, I must have the fleet deploy more supplies to sustain a prolonged battle."
His voice was low, choked with emotion: "Things are irreversible… Can we still leave?"
"The xenos meticulously prepared this trap, and we… my arrogance led you all into it."
"They want to wear us down, and we, too, must delay, waiting for the Primarch to arrive!"
"Four months, we must hold on, preserve the Imperium's military strength, and have the capability to counterattack."
The Lord of the Legion opened his mouth; he could not refute the Grand Master's tactical arrangements.
Now, all million mortal troops had landed, and the fleet was truly executing the next phase, with the Ecclesiarchy and Titan Legion about to touch down.
With so many personnel and armaments, it was easy to descend but difficult to ascend.
"Deploy all supplies, the fleet prepare to evade, and send a Astropathic message to the Primarch."
Urian quickly made arrangements, demonstrating the decisiveness of a Legion leader in dealing with the unfolding situation.
"Brothers of the other Legions, obey my command, and gather at these two locations!"
He marked two locations on the map, instructing the warriors at the other two landing zones to move there.
This way, all landed forces would form a triangular opposition, mutually supporting each other from fortified positions.
The Lord of the Fifth Legion remained silent, pondering the Grand Master's words, and nodded in approval at the deployments he had made.
Purely in terms of decision-making, what the Grand Master was doing now indeed aligned with the predictions for the battle.
The locations marked on the map were two high grounds, overlooking the current landing points.
Once the troops from the two landing points arrived and occupied them, they would become strategic strongholds, sufficient to hold out until the Primarch arrived.
The Grand Master's orders were issued swiftly, and all combat supplies from the warships were descended from high orbit.
The Legion's warriors, despite some doubts about the original landing point, chose to respect the Grand Master's command.
The Lords of the Heavenly Host ordered their troops to take their supplies, fight and retreat, moving towards the Grand Master's location.
On the Indomitable Truth, the Astropath choir chanted spells, sending messages to the Primarch in the Warp.
Just then, the choir members convulsed, blood spilling from their mouths and noses, greatly alarming the guarding Legion warriors, who quickly pushed the Astropath away, interrupting the Astropathic communication.
"Warp... gigantic object... approaching... distortion," the Astropath convulsed in the Legion warrior's arms, his spastic muscles making it difficult to speak complete words.
The Legion warrior decisively took a dose of medicine from his backpack and accurately injected it into the Astropath's carotid artery.
The Astropath's life or death was irrelevant, but the intelligence he possessed had to be revealed.
Three seconds later, the medicine used by the Space Marine brought the Astropath back to normal.
He knew he wouldn't live long and immediately recounted what he had seen: "In the Warp, three gigantic objects are approaching, distorting Astropathic communication. We cannot send signals now."
"I understand," came the Grand Master's reply over the communication channel. The Legion's highest commander understood the gravity of the situation.
The Astropath's body convulsed again; the Space Marine's medicine was causing his mortal body to collapse.
"Crack~" The Legion warrior twisted his neck, ending the Astropath's suffering.
On the ground, perhaps due to the Lord of the Legion's probing, the slave Legion, carrying heavy firepower, attacked the First Legion's position.
"Brothers! Hold the line!" The company commander on the front lines coordinated the defense, his steady voice motivating his brothers.
Before them was a bloody mist, a mountain of corpses, and an endless tide of humans.
The pungent smell of blood seemed omnipresent, seeping into the Space Marines' respirators.
The current battlefield was a clash between humans, with Space Marines slaughtering mortals.
"mortals, they are not our compatriots. They are pawns mind-controlled by xenos. Destroying them is helping our compatriots find release."
Compared to the Space Marines' composure, the will of the Mortal Auxiliary Army was constantly being ravaged by the horrific sight before them.
The warriors of the First Legion, holding bolt pistols in one hand, hissed through their respirators, boosting the mortals' fighting spirit.
mortal military judges and military police, whips in hand, patrolled back and forth behind the lines to prevent the Auxiliary Army from suffering mental breakdowns.
In the Auxiliary Army's ranks, laser guns flashed continuously, killing their own kind surging towards them.
They suffered minor casualties; the enemy's auto-guns and laser weapons were deadly to mortals.
mortals were, after all, not demigods and did not possess sturdy ceramite power armor.
Fortunately, under the protection of the void shields, the enemy's long-range firepower was blocked.
The Adeptus Mechanicus was constructing defensive positions, using various tools for digging and building, creating trenches for the Auxiliary Army.
Various automated defensive weapons were set up inside the lines in the most scientific arrangement, defending against low-velocity shells entering the void shields.
Red-robed Skitarii were arrayed in groups, scattered across the front line. They were well-equipped, supplementing the Auxiliary Army's insufficient firepower.
Titans continuously descended from space, standing in the front line, occasionally firing energy weapons to supplement firepower.
Compared to kinetic weapons, energy weapons did not require ammunition and only needed maintenance by Adeptus Mechanicus personnel.
Urian did not dare to deploy the Titans easily.
The Grand Master understood that the First Legion and the landing forces needed to stabilize the front line and fight a prolonged war of attrition.
The Imperial side was expending will and ammunition, while the Rangdan xenos were expending humans.
How many people were in a Hive City?
The smallest had at least hundreds of millions of people, the larger ones had tens of billions, and some super-large Hive Cities even reached hundreds of billions of people.
Morse was an industrial world, with four Hive Cities towering over its factories.
After the initial resistance against the xenos and the later Rangdan's wanton expenditure of the population, it was estimated that the Rangdan still had a billion people they could control.
This was data, estimated by the Adeptus Mechanicus based on the size of the Hive Cities and the scale of the factories, and submitted to the Grand Master.
A billion! This number was like a mountain, weighing on Urian's heart.
Not a billion humans who would feel fear, but a billion fearless puppets!
"Mech-Sage, I need an Adeptus Mechanicus warship to be scuttled into our front line."
Urian negotiated with the Adeptus Mechanicus in space over the communication channel.
He needed an Adeptus Mechanicus warship to land within the front line, providing fire support while also serving as a wartime factory.
"Grand Master, is it really necessary?" The Mech-Sage was silent for a long time. This Sage, having more human organs, furrowed his brow and asked the Grand Master:
"According to my calculations, while the number of human puppets is large, they do not pose a high threat. Are you being overly cautious?"
"The enemy is not just these," Urian shook his head. "Xeno reinforcements will arrive soon, and I must quickly establish the front line to resist the arriving xenos."
As he said, Urian realized the seriousness of the problem and had to use every means available.
"If you insist," the Sage saw the Grand Master's serious expression and, after some thought, agreed to the request: "A cruiser will descend. I hope your prediction is correct, Grand Master, and that you make good use of the Omnissiah's creation."
"Thank you for your generosity," a flicker of gratitude flashed in Urian's eyes.
Regarding the need for a warship to descend, the First Legion had many warships that could serve this role.
What Urian wanted was a factory, a manufacturing plant that could continuously produce weapons and ammunition, providing for the front line's ammunition consumption.
Only an Adeptus Mechanicus warship with an integrated factory could fulfill this role.
Both sides quickly coordinated, and a warship equipped with a manufacturing factory and filled with various supplies descended from orbit.
The warship's descent provoked a furious counterattack from the Rangdan xenos, and the orbital defense weapons instantly opened fire.
The cruiser's void shields activated, and it rapidly descended, trying to minimize its altitude to avoid multi-directional strikes.
Seeing the xenos' counterattack, Urian smiled coldly—the more nervous the enemy, the more it meant he had done the right thing.
The five-kilometer-long Adeptus Mechanicus cruiser was hit several times by orbital defense fire, and its void shields rapidly overloaded.
Fortunately, before the second orbital weapon volley, its altitude had dropped below the firing angle.
Under the precise control of the Adeptus Mechanicus personnel, it slowly landed within the Legion's lines.
If all went as expected, it would remain here forever, never again to navigate the void.
Urian immediately set about building a defensive system centered around the cruiser, his inner worries significantly lessened.
This warship was his greatest assurance.
Within the atmosphere, macro-cannons could not be used; the strong shockwaves would sweep away the entire Legion.
Lances and other energy weapons, however, could be used at low power, otherwise they would instantly vaporize surrounding troops.
The low-power weapons or secondary cannons of a void warship were equally not to be underestimated; they far exceeded the greatest ground firepower.
"Come on!" Urian spoke on all channels, roaring in a low, deep voice: "Let the xenos come! We are ready to resist their attack!"
He had made the utmost preparations, building an impregnable defense within a day.
Did the xenos want to stall? To break through the Legion's defenses using vast numbers of mentally enslaved beings?
The First Legion, with its dispositions made, was now unafraid of delays!
All of Urian's deployments had pushed his talents to their limit, making the most correct choices.
As the star set, the battle entered the night.
The Rangdan slave army advanced by digging trenches through the piled blood and mud, pressing the Legion's lines at all costs.
Their xeno masters cared nothing for casualties, hiding under the protection of the Hive City's void shields, thrilled by the internecine conflict of their human kin.
The battle intensified, lasting for three full Terran days.
The Imperial Legions rotated countless times for rest, yet never ceased fighting. The mortals' trigger fingers trembled.
The Space Marines, however, did not feel tired; they required very little rest, a few minutes of napping was enough to restore them to peak condition.
Urian never rested, monitoring the battle from the command center.
His heart was constantly taut. If the xenos were only like this, holding out until the Primarch arrived would be no problem.
But reality always delivered a harsh slap in an unexpected way.
The most feared thing had finally arrived!
"Grand Master, there are gigantic objects approaching in the Warp!" The alarm over the communication was urgent, the voice trembling with fear.
"Vile humans, surrender to fear, and bow before the might of our race!"
"You shall witness the creation that will crush your meager courage—the Battle Moon!"
The xenos' triumphant taunts echoed across the common channel.
Grand Master Urian shook his head with a bitter smile, his inner hopeful fantasy never coming true.
The massive object that had blocked the Astropathic communication, after three days of Warp travel, finally arrived in the Morse Solar System.
The Rangdan xenos reinforcements had arrived, and they were swift and powerful.
Their war technology, in some aspects, rivaled or even surpassed that of the Imperium.
The Fifth Legion's assessment was correct; the Rangdan were indeed an existential enemy of the Imperium, an opponent against whom humanity must fight with all its might.
As Urian was lamenting, within the Morse Solar System, the Warp index continuously rose.
Three colossal Warp exits, arranged in a triangular formation, suddenly and uniformly appeared within the star system.
The fleet noticed the anomaly, with astronomical telescopes tightly locked onto the Warp portals, and augur arrays at full power, scanning for any unusual signs.
On the ground, Urian saw the anomaly in the holographic projection. He walked out of the command post and looked up at the sky.
The monitor in his helmet quickly zoomed in, displaying the captured images.
Within the visible star system, a spherical behemoth slowly emerged from the Warp, squeezing into the real universe.
It was even larger than Terra's moon, Luna, and with an overwhelming sense of oppression, it entered the real universe.
The xenos' colossal space structures had arrived in the real universe.
The appearance of three Battle Moons, and the gravitational disturbances caused by their immense mass, made the planetary orbits tremble slightly.
The stars trembled, and so did human hearts.
One Battle Moon appeared in orbit around the planet, its steel construction exerting an oppressive force that further terrified the mortal soldiers.
Humans would fear power far beyond their imagination.
Over the course of a week, the already battered morale of the mortal soldiers was now on the verge of collapse.
"Snap~~~" The sonic boom of a whip dispelled fear, and the long whip wielded by the military police was even more intimidating than the xenos construct hanging overhead.
The Auxiliary Army lowered their heads, rekindling their inner courage, and opened fire on the human cannon fodder pressing forward.
"Brother," Urian called out on the comms channel. He had to make arrangements.
"Grand Master, please give your orders." The Lord of the Void Sky Army interjected into the communication, his expression solemn, knowing the gravity of the situation.
Urian said to the Lord of the Void Sky Army: "I grant you authority to command the entire fleet. Preserve your strength and engage the xenos in a war of attrition."
"You are the most skilled in void fleet combat; I will not interfere much. My battlefield is on the ground."
"I understand." The image of the Lord of the Void Sky Army faded, as he took over command of the fleet and directed it to withdraw.
Urian let out a long breath, secretly relieved that he had landed one warship on the surface.
The Legion now relied on the warship, forming a defensive triangle on three high grounds. It was impossible for the xenos to conquer the First Legion.
The First Legion would hold out until the Primarch arrived.
No matter the cost, the First Legion would never abandon its position; it would hold to the death!
"Brothers! In four months, a Primarch will arrive to sweep away the filthy xenos and their servants."
There were no inspiring words; Urian was not good at them, and the First Legion did not need inspiration.
They were the strongest Legion, now trapped by the xenos.
The Grand Master was confident they could fight their way out with all their might, but the cost would be incredibly high.
They had to preserve their strength so that when the Primarch arrived, there would be enough force to counterattack the xenos.
"Hold your ground, await reinforcements!"
Finally, Urian put on his helmet and went to the front lines to boost the morale of the mortals.
Seeing the brutal scenes on the battlefield, the bullet marks on his brothers' armor, and the perseverance of the mortal soldiers, a sense of guilt welled up within him.
The First Legion, skilled in extermination and annihilation warfare, was now forced into passive defense due to a combination of various reasons.
The Imperial forces had also paid a heavy price for their arrogance.
But this was necessary now; there was no turning back.
When the war ended, Urian was willing to accept any punishment.
Whether the punishment came from Imperial authorities or the Primarch, he would accept it all.
The fleet, led by the Lord of the Void Sky Army, departed. The upcoming battles would primarily consist of guerrilla harassment, with the main fleet hiding in the void to preserve its strength.
Various gigantic hatches on the Battle Moons opened, and void fleets emerged from within.
Each Battle Moon carried hundreds of semi-organic warships, filling the void around it.
The vast Morse Solar System now appeared crowded; the xenos' naval power far exceeded that of the Imperium by several times.
Seeing the Imperial fleet's departure, the Rangdan fleet did not pursue.
The xenos knew that with humans present on Morse, human reinforcements would surely come.
This was their initial strategic objective, with no deviation.
Waiting for the rabbit by the stump, besieging the point to strike at reinforcements. The human servants provided tactics that were indeed very effective.
"Insignificant human, lay down your weapons and surrender, become a servant of our race." The Rangdan xenos hacked into Imperial communications and found Urian.
It adopted an arrogant posture, satisfying its emotions by humiliating the existence of humans.
Urian said nothing. He had finally seen the xenos, the true Rangdan race.
The xenos' exterior was covered in grayish-rocky scaled skin, with six thick legs on its lower body, all joints pointing outwards, allowing it to run in any direction.
The first time Urian saw the Rangdan before him, he immediately determined that the opponent was wearing bio-armor, and its true body should be small.
Its waist was a rotating platform, and the design of the bio-armor's lower half left no room for the Rangdan's actual body.
The upper half of the bio-armor had two multi-jointed main arms, as well as multiple sliding tentacles.
Its head was rounded, surrounded by a ring of monitors, providing a full 360-degree view.
Most striking was a fleshy rod on its head, about a foot long, pink like tender flesh, resembling some kind of antenna.
The bio-armor had no facial features, but above its torso was a terrifying face.
Its eyes were wide open, its nose a skull, its mouth filled with sharp teeth, and a long, ugly tongue licked at one of its fangs.
The face was extremely intimidating; an ordinary person seeing it on the battlefield would be scared out of their wits.
Grand Master Urian memorized the xenos' features. After a brief analysis, he realized that the Rangdan's true body should be relatively fragile.
"Hmph!" He snorted, extending an iron-clad boot: "Filthy creature, you're not even worthy of licking my boot!"
"You're nowhere to be seen on the front lines, hiding behind slaves. Have you come out to die now?"
For someone skilled in verbal attacks, the Grand Master's words were generally effective.
But the Rangdan was enraged; its bio-armor trembled, and white smoke billowed from its seams.
It was worshipped by slaves, revered as a true god; when had it ever heard such humiliating words?
"I am Rangdan Warmaster—Lolos! I will personally train you to be the most obedient dog, licking ten thousand boots every day!"
"Come then! The Legion is right here," Urian said with disdain, "I just fear you lack the courage to face humans, hiding behind your slave army."
"Just you wait!" Lolos' tone was hostile, and he immediately cut the communication.
Communications between xenos and humans were mostly like this, never friendly exchanges.
"Prepare to counter the xenos' attack; they are very powerful. Let's probe them first."
Urian curled his lips into a cold smile. He deliberately provoked the xenos, making them personally engage in combat, which would facilitate the acquisition of critical intelligence.
In planetary orbit, the xenos warships adjusted their stance, their broadsides aimed at Morse, and from their anal folds, circular bio-eggs were launched.
The xenos drop pods penetrated the atmosphere, avoiding human anti-aircraft fire, and landed in front of the Hive City.
The ovate bio-eggs shattered, their fluids spilling onto the ground, and from them emerged tall Rangdan elite warriors.
They were massive, clad in grayish-rocky bio-armor, as tall as Space Marines.
They held a bio-gun in one main hand and a curved bone-bladed war-scythe in the other.
Multiple bio-tentacles flailed, their tips reflecting cold light, serving as sharp small blades.
A thousand Rangdan warriors descended from the sky.
The enslaved humans were frantic and excited, as if gods had descended among them.
"Gakakaka—"
The grotesque face on the bio-armor's abdomen, with its built-in sound emitter, roared, its piercing sonic waves intimidating the human slaves.
From the Hive City behind, a large number of xenos technological constructs advanced towards the human lines.
Artillery fire struck them, causing ripples to appear on their surfaces, indicating some form of directional defense system.
The appearance of elite warriors and war machines signaled the war's entry into its second phase.
The most brutal close-quarters combat was about to begin.
"Waaah~~~~" The human servants let out strange cries, running to keep up with the war machines, charging towards the human positions.
Tracks sank deep into flesh, mercilessly crushing the bodies of the Auxiliary Army, churning up mangled remains and organs.
The Auxiliary Army continuously fired, red laser dots striking human traitors; low-energy projectiles successfully penetrated shields, killing a large number of enemies.
When the distance was close enough, the Space Marines ceased firing and picked up their close-combat gear.
"Filthy xenos! Receive the wrath of the Astartes!" Someone roared, and the Legion warriors, armed with various equipment, charged out of their lines.
They had to go out to block the charge for the mortals and create stable firepower output.
The vehicles of the Heavenly Host of Iron aimed, driving tanks and other battlefield vehicles to provide strong fire support for their brothers.
Power weapons lit up, and force fields deflected attacks. The warriors of the First Legion clashed with the xenos.