Major General Anna arrived at the military zone on the Cinder Plains with her Third Legion.
It was now the turn of the final legion to undergo equipment retrofitting. Shortly, they would join the First and Second Aiel Guard, as well as the Aerial Support Group and Armored Support Group, on an expedition to support their fellow citizens on distant Sotha—a world soon to encounter the same enemy that had plagued Aiel.
Alexei watched the perfectly aligned, solemn ranks from a distance and nodded in satisfaction. The original plan for the first wave of support could only have carried one legion and a few companies' worth of vehicle support.
However, the addition of the Red Romance allowed the headcount to increase by several orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the personnel deployed this time were all veterans who had survived the wars against both demons and Tyranids; they were the elite of the elite.
This equipment refit was aimed at maximizing the combat capabilities of every soldier.
All infantry gear had been updated. Their C-14 Gauss Rifles were now fitted with non-folding bayonets and high-capacity drum magazines. Their power armor featured heavy ballistic shields mounted on the left arm, and their visors were upgraded with integrated thermal imaging and real-time tactical data links to enhance battlefield awareness.
The Marauders had their defensive capabilities bolstered once more, ensuring the extra plating did not impede their mobility. Their tactical visors were similarly upgraded. In addition to their standard K12 Grenade Launchers, they now carried anti-vehicle missiles and concussion grenades designed to slow enemy advances.
As he watched the legionnaires emerge from the barracks looking brand new, Alexei believed they would bring him pleasant surprises.
This time, he was also bringing a contingent of SCVs and professional engineers on board. They would land on the surface alongside the troops and, under armed protection, use all available local resources to construct temporary fortresses in a short amount of time.
If things truly went south, Alexei planned to "cheat" by using high-dimensional manifestation to pull a "forest of steel" out of thin air. To this end, he had specifically unlocked the Planetary Fortress upgrade for the Terran Command Center. They would use these fortified structures to temporarily hold back the Tyranid assault while waiting for the next wave of reinforcements.
As long as the Scythes of the Emperor were not entirely wiped out, the pressure should be manageable. After all, the Tyranids' primary objective would undoubtedly be the Scythes' monastery.
Moreover, Alexei had another goal for this trip. He wanted to verify if his newly awakened ability worked as he imagined—specifically, whether he could absorb C'tan shards. Hidden within the Pharos lighthouse was a shard of the C'tan known as Zarhulash the Potentate, which the Necrons had bound to serve as a power source for the Pharos.
Speaking of which, this shard was originally discovered by Belisarius Cawl, who then managed to trick and threaten it into a portal, only for the other side of that portal to be a Necron dynasty that harbored extreme hatred for C'tan.
Alexei was essentially moving in to intercept it early. This was the most accessible C'tan shard he knew of; most others were likely held deep within Necron dynasties—except for that one complete C'tan wandering the galactic fringe.
He just didn't know if the Necrons sleeping beneath Sotha would wake up and punch him if he actually absorbed Zarhulash. But even if they did wake up, he could just grab the Scythes of the Emperor and run. Those "iron skeletons" surely couldn't catch up to him...
As Alexei's thoughts drifted, time ticked away. The sun set over the brightly lit military zone. As the last soldier swapped out his old power armor, every warrior stood ready to embark on the new crusade.
Alexei gave the order: at dawn the next day, all personnel and vehicles would begin boarding the fleet.
After several days of embarkation, everyone was in position across the vessels. Alexei stood in the captain's quarters of a Gorgon-class Battlecruiser, facing the commander who would accompany him on this expedition—a man recommended by Colton.
Colton was getting old. Even with the Zerg psionic network enhancing his body and mind, the constant travel and the prospect of commanding on a dangerous battlefield might lead to his demise. Alexei deeply cherished the few talents he had.
If only I could summon Raynor... Alexei thought to himself. He then looked up at the middle-aged man beside him. "Brand, what is the status of the various departments' preparations?"
"Reporting, my Lord. Most preparations are complete. The Warp drives have begun charging. We expect to initiate the jump in four standard Terran hours," Brand replied respectfully with a low bow.
"Good. Hard work for you all. Perform one final check of all equipment in the remaining time to ensure no errors occur."
"Yes, sir!"
"Furthermore..." Alexei narrowed his eyes at the man. "You are the overall commander for the ground theater this time. I will not interfere with your orders. Colton highly recommended you; do not disappoint me."
"Understood! I guarantee I will not fail your high expectations!" Brand saluted and spoke in a deep, resolute voice.
Alexei nodded, and Brand slowly exited the room. As the door closed, Alexei leaned heavily against his chair, staring blankly at the miniature holographic star map.
"I hope everything goes smoothly..." Alexei knew this Tyranid hive fleet was far more terrifying than the one they had previously encountered, but he believed he could achieve all his objectives.
As time passed, the Warp drives reached full charge. Alexei arrived at the ship's bridge. As the notification of full charge echoed nearby, he snapped his eyes open, looked at a specific coordinate on the star map, and gave the command in a heavy voice.
"All ships, engage! Destination: Sotha!"
In low-earth orbit, the six ships collectively entered the sub-space channel leading to Sotha.
As Alexei watched the space outside being drastically stretched, he felt for the first time that the Imperium of Man was small—so small that no one could clearly see its future.
In the low-earth orbit of Sotha, all orbital outposts had entered a state of high alert. Over a hundred ships of various types drifted near the orbit.
Aboard the Heart of Benevolence, the flagship of the Scythes of the Emperor, Chapter Master Thorcyra, clad in black and yellow power armor, was silently cleaning his boltgun in preparation for the coming battle.
Everyone knew clearly that they were about to face Hive Fleet Kraken, the destroyer of countless worlds. But to fulfill the task given to them by their gene-father and to protect the citizens on the home world who had no time to evacuate, they had no path of retreat.
Thorcyra silently donned his helmet. He knew the Imperium was vast—so vast that it required the glory of countless humans to protect it!