Gravelax.
At this point, the last of the Gretchin had retreated to an industrial city, their final stronghold. The Imperial forces, like a pocket, had completely surrounded them there.
The shelling and bombing of the industrial city had been going on for five days. The towering industrial Hive City's exterior was already in ruins, but the interior of the Hive City had not been significantly affected.
If these Gretchin were not thoroughly cleared out, they would sooner or later become a major hidden danger. Moreover, this planet had already been given to the Weeping Sorrows Chapter, which meant the Carcharodons could very likely stumble here.
Therefore, as the main force entered the Hive City to clear it out, the Inquisition needed to investigate the situation within the Hive City, because the Inquisition had to ensure that every Genestealer family was burned to ashes.
So! This glorious mission… ended up inexplicably falling on Kaelp and the Ultramarines.
Kaelp looked at the list handed to him by Amberly. This time, the Inquisition would also act with Kaelp and his team.
Kaelp glanced at the list in his hand, and his eyes immediately darkened. The names on the list were like storm clouds before a tempest, giving him a vague premonition of ill omen: Kaelp, Treibek, Velarde, Sorel, and Hollanby.
These five were the last people on this planet he would want to rely on to protect him in battle, unless there was a bayonet at their backs.
He looked up at Amberly, frowning, trying to subtly remind her: "Are you sure, Inquisitor? These Soldiers are not very... reliable."
"But they are the least valuable," she smiled, with a mischievous glint that made one wonder if she was implying something. "However, I believe you can keep them in line."
Kaelp's heart sank. Amberly's words directly pointed out the high risk of this mission. He took a deep breath, almost feeling his throat dry. This mission was practically suicide for him.
But facing the direct request of the beautiful Inquisitor, Kaelp knew he had no choice. So he could only brace himself and reply, "You can rest assured, Inquisitor."
In fact, when Amberly brought that scowling Inquisitor Katarina to Lord Li Feng to submit the request, Lord Li Feng had not intended for Kaelp to undertake this mission. But there was no alternative... Lord Li Feng saw Inquisitor Amberly, Kaelp's future wife, come to request him, and he couldn't refuse... After all!
"It's better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage!"
Kaelp couldn't help but pray that he would return alive from the upcoming mission, thanks to the protection of Lord Li Feng's girlfriend. Kaelp stood aside, watching the Soldiers assigned to accompany him slowly gather.
These Soldiers stood there with typical expressions of suspicion and reluctance, watching him silently.
None of them were willing to hide their indifference to the mission, an indifference that only highlighted their unease. Kaelp knew he had been assigned a group of "inferior Soldiers" who would barely follow orders.
"Alright, Inquisitor, they are all here."
Kaelp said, his gaze sweeping over them. Amberly nodded and slowly walked to the front of the line, scrutinizing each of the Soldiers.
Her sharp gaze seemed to penetrate their hearts, leaving them nowhere to hide.
"These people really are a unique bunch," Kaelp thought to himself. He had made them run sprints earlier to see if weeks of confinement had affected their stamina, but these guys were surprisingly resilient, showing no signs of weakness.
Kaelp attributed this to them having nothing else to do in prison but physical training. However, Kaelp still had doubts about whether this would make them more reliable in actual combat.
When the Guardians were dismissed, Kaelp casually sat on a nearby crate, carefully observing their reactions. Sorel was expressionless, Velarde and Hollanby seemed somewhat confused, and while Kaelp and Treibek exchanged glances, their eyes no longer showed hostility.
Perhaps it was his excessive "personal charm," or perhaps it was the Laser Gun peeking out of his holster. Kaelp quietly unfastened his holster, ensuring he could draw his gun quickly in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
"I promised you a chance for redemption," he said slowly. "Now that chance has come."
These words finally piqued their interest. Several of them had varied expressions; only Velarde looked utterly bewildered, and Hollanby was as clueless as ever. Kaelp continued to observe them, watching their eyes gradually focus, knowing he had at least temporarily captured their attention.
At this, he nodded to Amberly. She stepped out of the shadows, her black cloak appearing particularly stark in the dim light. As she raised her arm, she displayed the Inquisition's insignia, her sharp gaze sweeping over them.
Velarde gasped. Amberly's presence, in stark contrast to her previous gentle demeanor, was awe-inspiring.
Kaelp continued, "This is Inquisitor Velarde. She has a mission for us."
"What mission?"
Treibek asked, clearly suspicious of the situation. Amberly looked at Kaelp, seemingly silently leaving the mission explanation to him.
Kaelp simply replied, "Bodyguard mission, to the industrial Hive City. There might be resistance."
"What kind of resistance?"
Kaelp shrugged, "That's what we're going to find out."
"We're not expected to come back alive, are we?" Kaelp interjected, with a mocking tone.
Amberly stared at him coldly, forcing him to lower his head.
"That's up to you."
She said lightly, "The Political Commissar will definitely bring you back alive. I suggest you stick close to him."
Listening to Amberly's words, Kaelp understood that she was laying out the risks of the mission before them without reservation. Undoubtedly, this was a high-risk mission, and everyone knew that coming back alive was not a given.
Just then, the sharpshooter Sorel broke the silence with a cold remark: "Assuming we actually intend to follow orders, why shouldn't we take this opportunity to shoot you all and then escape?"
His gaze swept over the others, and his calm, unwavering expression made Kaelp wary. There was no emotion in the man's words, only cold calculation.
Amberly, however, remained unfazed, a faint smile playing on her lips: "If you have the courage, feel free to try. But first, you'll have to get past the Political Commissar."
Kaelp also smiled slightly, then said, "I can assure you, if anyone has any intention of deserting, I will execute him without hesitation."
His gaze was stern, and his tone, devoid of any overt threat, made his words seem even more resolute. He knew very well that in this mission, he not only had to contend with external enemies but also had to constantly guard against these Soldiers potentially turning against him... The team members were finally ready, and Kaelp had them assemble outside the armored vehicle. The team's unproductive chatter gradually gave way to a series of irrelevant questions about the mission, the answers to which could all be simplified to, "You ask me, who should I ask?".
Kaelp cleared his throat, leading them out the door. Yugen had already prepared the extended mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle outside, with a heavy bolter mounted on the turret shield on the roof, and the vehicle body covered with light explosive reactive armor and slat armor... As the engine roared, Yugen tried his best to appear confident.
Kaelp had originally wanted his usual reconnaissance Salamanders, but that vehicle didn't have enough space for the entire squad. Moreover, the completely enclosed crew compartment with slat armor would effectively prevent the team members from having second thoughts at the last minute.
"Your equipment is all in the vehicle."
Kaelp said, standing at the back like a kindergarten teacher, watching the children board the vehicle one by one, except this teacher held a Laser Gun in his hand.
Inside the vehicle were five bundles of equipment bags, each wrapped in carapace armor spray-painted with the team members' names. Kaelp watched calmly as the Soldiers took their respective armors.
Amberly reminded everyone, "Check carefully, don't miss anything. This is your only chance."
"A discharge notice?"
Treibek quipped, prompting Velarde and Hollanby to relax and laugh, breaking the previous tension.
Kaelp mumbled while putting on his armor, "Something's not right. It actually fits. The quartermaster must have made a mistake."
In the Guardians, there was an unwritten axiom: equipment only came in two sizes... "too big" or "too small."
Amberly interjected, "Lord Li Feng's forces have the best logistics in the entire Imperium. One of his requirements is that his Soldiers, except when the unit is surrounded or in high-intensity combat, must each receive a hot meal."
Indeed, Lord Li Feng was the kind of Commander who equated "hot meals" with "combat effectiveness." Moreover, the food standards Lord Li Feng set were very high, and each Soldier's combat emergency ration pack included luncheon meat, compressed rations, vitamin jam, chewing gum, coffee, and a pack of cigarettes.
"I bet he did," Kaelp whispered.
Velarde, meanwhile, was focused on her new equipment: a personal hellgun, a lightweight modification by Lord Li Feng. She excitedly fiddled with it. As a regular Soldier, she had only used Laser Guns and auto-guns before. hellguns, capable of piercing power armour, were usually only issued to Stormtroopers or other special forces.
"We felt that stronger firepower was needed for the mission."
Kaelp explained. Amberly had suggested that Kaelp replace his Mauser-style Laser Gun with a heavier bolter pistol, but Kaelp was accustomed to the weapon Lord Li Feng had given him and had long considered it a part of his body. Changing to a new weapon might affect his instinctive movements, and besides... this gun had full-auto!
Kaelp's tactical vest was also fully donned, hidden beneath his uniform coat. The bulletproof plates, manufactured by Lord Li Feng from ceramite, plastisteel, and high-molecular-weight polyethylene, were not only lightweight but also greatly enhanced protection.
"It's indeed a necessary firepoweer supplement."
Treibek agreed, bending down to attach fragmentation grenades to his person. Each carried several grenades and smoke grenades, extra energy packs, illumination devices, and other necessary combat equipment.
Hollanby was an exception; the position for his grenades was replaced by a complete medical kit. The medical equipment he carried indicated that he could quickly treat casualties when necessary. His medical skills were more valuable than grenades. If grenades were used in a confined space, a few more or a few less would make little difference.
"You can be rough, as you like."
Sorel checked his M200, an electromagnetic sniper rifle. He fine-tuned the scope. Kaelp had specifically found Lord Li Feng to get this gun made.
Lord Li Feng understood that sharpshooters and snipers had a unique connection with their weapons, and this weapon used live rounds, specifically high-penetration, complex-process armor-piercing rounds.
Sorel's skilled movements indicated that he was already familiar with all the details of his new weapon. Sorel's tone carried a hint of satisfaction:
"Excellent, electromagnetic propulsion, free-floating barrel, thermal imaging scope, retractable stock, adjustable cheek rest, and this suppressor... It's perfect, simply suparashi... It even exceeds all my requirements for a firearm... Political Commissar, where did you get this weapon?"
Kaelp was slightly surprised by this; he had thought Sorel, being a detached individual, rarely showed emotion.
"This gun was custom-made by Lord Li Feng, but please ensure you are always aiming in the correct direction."
Kaelp masked the warning in his words with a smile. A flicker of an imperceptible expression crossed Sorel's calm face, but he quickly became absorbed by the gun in his hands again, clearly enamored with his new sniper rifle.
"I also need a few more pressure bandages," Hollanby said, expertly checking the contents of his medical kit. Kaelp pointed to the large first-aid box in the vehicle's compartment.
"Help yourself." Hollanby quickly rummaged, stuffing several pressure bandages into his bulging waist pouch. He made some space and tucked a few ration packs into the bag.
Velarde, sitting nearby, suggested, "Eat something good; you'll be hungry later and won't have anything."
"Good idea."
Hollanby agreed, breaking off half a piece of luncheon meat and handing it to her. Their fingers briefly touched as she took it.
Amberly gave Kaelp a slight smile, silently teasing him with her lips: "Oh, look at them... how sweet."
Kaelp, however, felt a bit helpless. He appreciated Amberly's relaxed attitude but also realized that emotional ties within the team could bring unnecessary risks to the mission.
He composed himself, then picked up the remaining ration bar from the bench. He broke half of it for Amberly:
"She's right, eat when you can replenish carbohydrates. You'll need plenty of energy later."
(The Political Commissar started flirting...)
Amberly chuckled softly, taking a small bite of the compressed ration in her hand, frowning slightly: "I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable... By the way, do you really eat this kind of thing?"
"Not if there's anything else."
Amberly swallowed the compressed ration with a disgusted expression: "Now I absolutely must come back alive. This absolutely cannot be my last meal... Ah Kai, I know a very good restaurant; we can go together..." (Note: the address changed)
The Soldiers showed knowing smiles, and even the usually calm Sorel couldn't help but curve his lips.
Kaelp was once again impressed by Amberly's influence. Her deliberate display of a civilian attitude subtly awakened the Soldiers' pride, seemingly welding them into a more cohesive team.
While it was uncertain if this would truly enhance team cohesion, for this mission, Kaelp only needed their temporary cooperation to help Amberly gather intelligence and ensure his own safe return.
However, Kaelp's heart remained vigilant. The conflict between Kaelp and Treibek might affect the mission, and Velarde and Hollanby's relationship could lead them to be distracted in emergencies, even prioritizing each other's safety over the mission or the safety of other team members, especially his own.
As for the marksman Sorel... Kaelp decided to always keep this sniper within his sight. He had seen Soldiers like Sorel; they were often ruthless, cold, and would not hesitate to sacrifice others to protect themselves when necessary.
As for Amberly, Kaelp admitted she was captivating, but her identity as an Inquisitor meant that her use of everyone was merely a means to achieve her goals.
This noble and grand objective was unquestionable, but when the black bell tolled, Kaelp would always remain wary of his own fate.
Pulling the rear hatch closed, Kaelp activated the communicator.
"Yugen, we're ready to go."
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