Chapter 434: A mistake -
No one knows what Kadan Stunus was actually thinking before he decided to attack the Rakuan Clan's Hall of Conquest this time.
This wave of attacks did not hit the suspicious-looking Rakuan Clan Conquest Hall, which suddenly made a subspace jump under impossible circumstances.
But they did type out... something.
It was completely beyond their and the other party’s expectations.
It can only be said that the description of a blind cat encountering a dead mouse is most appropriate here.
But what follows is a life-and-death battle.
-
Dozens of luminous spears hit the void shield and a small part of the ship's hull in sequence at the left front of Lakuan's Hall of Conquest, and the ionized light aroused was like the light shining from time to time in the dark night. It was as dazzling as the lightning, illuminating the plastic steel concrete, adamantine skeleton and ship hull that began to fly out like fragments scattered in a tornado, as well as the smaller gravel-like equipment, debris and the quickly frozen bodies of the unfortunate crew members. .
"The latest damage control report! The first to third decks of the fortress were attacked by planetary light spears with a direction angle of 82°. The source is presumed to be Senos. The safety seal hatch has been lowered and the countdown is 10 In seconds, the damage control teams from Beta-211-A to Epsilon-003-C have completed the verification of extravehicular equipment and are heading from the emergency channel for repair and recovery..."
The neat rows of servitors inserted into the gleaming brass and steel panels have ferocious looks. They output a series of data from their own cogitators or stiffly and loudly report the self-check status of various damages. The empty bridge of the throne now has a slightly chaotic scene that is rare in the Iron Hands' expedition.
Leaving the others to guard their genetic father, who did not open the door to the throne room or summon their genetic father, Malkan Feros, who rushed in alone, rushed into the bridge deck and was shouting angrily. The technical officers were asked to immediately contact any other clan captain and Iron Father who were above Medusa or in the Antarctic Fortress to inquire about the situation.
Because no one would have thought that the Rakuan clan would return after jumping out of Mandeville Point and sending the identity code to the Iron Hand's own watch space station at the outermost edge of the Sternelos galaxy. Will be attacked from within the galaxy.
The ancient machine spirit in Rakuan's Hall of Conquest roared angrily. Just before the first wave of attacks touched its metal shell, the machine spirit immediately notified the current security personnel in the fortress. The most powerful commander.
Ferrus Manus and Fulgrim Ishtar made the same reaction almost at the same time: using their authority to concentrate all non-life-sustaining energy on the void shield on the attacked side. Emergency start, and start a series of takeover equipment and prepare to make this super flying brick, two hundred pairs of road wheels, one wheel twelve stories high, and can also be driven on the ground, the fortress monastery begins to be built outside the galaxy. Extreme drift operation.
Facts have proved that, except for some specialized prototypes that are similar in nature to "technology" or "computing", which can independently perform real-time combat calculations at such moments, there are only two battle-experienced prototypes whose thinking circuits are linked. When we are on the same metal body, we can control a behemoth like the Hall of Conquest in an instant to complete such temporary actions that even its driver and technical officer team cannot complete.
All the occupants in this Hall of Conquest have not yet reacted or have just had a moment of confusion, doubt, rage or other thoughts flashing through their minds.
The urgently activated void shield on the side of the fortress facing the galaxy has been attacked from the direction of their home galaxy, and although the flying fortress is shaking very badly, it is at least relying on the accurately strengthened void shield. The position was defensive.
Later, when they were eager to figure out what was happening at this chaotic moment, the pilots and bridge officers were horrified to find that the machine souls and cogitator instruments in front of them began to Out of their control, even entering the most secure code they have is useless.
Thus Malkan Feros' request could not even be met for a while: all auspicious devices and sensor arrays joined in this silent but completely terrifying machine talking to itself. .
These machines seemed to boil in an instant, as if the originally sleeping circuit metal statues were suddenly injected with some unknown and terrifying vitality. The stiff metal and dead flesh jaws of the machine servitors opened and closed, and began to make loud noises automatically. Reporting the work conclusions of the output of their equipment, and the equipment that usually requires careful maintenance by multiple people, all began to work actively as if they were directed by the same person's will, and their efficiency was even faster than ever before.
"Ohm Messiah! What's going on?!" Iron Father's voice rumbled through the metal breathing grille that replaced his nose and mouth, "The bridge officer has tried Have you regained control of this place? I want to communicate with Medusa immediately! Is this a sign of a rebellion or the aftermath of the invasion of these machine spirits? "Clear!"
"I don't know!" the desperate bridge technical officer replied loudly, "They...they are controlled by another powerful will, and we can't even control them!" ”
-
Be calm and don’t be impatient. My sons, my warriors. It's me.
A thought like a yellow bell came to the bridge, and its voice spread through the receiver's channel through the resonance of the mechanical module. Everyone immediately fell silent, except for the equipment that was working on its own and was still making noises. , people watched uneasily as these dead things around them were now working orderly and spontaneously - without any human beings to control them.
Many believers are quietly reciting the exorcism prayers of Om Messiah.
The violent long-range attacks that are brushed against the void shield outside the porthole from time to time inspire colorful, disorderly and dazzling high-speed strobe lights. If a person looks directly at them without protection, he will even feel physiological dizziness and nausea. .
Markan Feros tentatively took half a step forward.
"Is it you? Father? Please forgive me for not being by your side. I think I should come and drive your car for you when there is an attack."
A pulse of impatiently explicit emotion entered Malkan's receiver.
-
Markan. Although I do have a bad temper, I consider myself fairly reasonable with my children, unlike some of my brothers.
"Please forgive me, father. It was me who made wild guesses about you."
Another pulse from the same source once again passed to Markan, "Okay, it's okay. You don't want it now." Talk more” sentiment.
The Lord of the Forge blinked behind his steel breathing mask.
-
Stop talking nonsense. Everyone is prepared to resist the impact of acceleration and space jump.
"Father...?"
-
Make a subspace jump first and leave here immediately. The void shield was improvised and would not last long. There were still about 58 seconds before the next attack warhead cluster arrived. Must jump.
“But even the subspace engine of Lacuan Hall can only be 65% ready in such a hasty time... And we must activate the new Geller position and navigator. Great Ferus! The probability of getting lost if we jump into subspace like this is higher than 50%, and the probability of damage is..."
-
Shut up. I know what I'm doing. You chant Holy and Great in front of my name all day long, and build countless temples on the Holy Mountain of Kalash to pray for my return. And at this time when great power and miracles are especially needed, you think that I, a primarch, one of the miracles in the galaxy, your genetic father ten thousand years ago, who came back like lightning from death, am only a mortal. Ability?
“……”
The Magnet Boots of the Astartes held the sons of Ferrus to the deck, while the mortal auxiliary officers immediately dropped down to grab something or squeeze themselves into some gap large enough, before they could When they had completely finished dodging, they heard the great voice curse a curse in a language they didn't understand, followed by a high-pitched roar in Medusa's indigenous language.
-
What a bunch of bastards!
Then the same voice sounded more calmly.
-
Navigator, sense the coordinates I provide. ——Stop talking nonsense, now.
Invisible, huge but real pressure pressed on everyone like a giant mountain. The mechanical arms of the Steel Hands made tiny sounds of metal being compressed and rubbed. Some people's breathing even became difficult. The air was being forced out of their collapsed lungs. Fortunately, although their navigator was not very willing to accept guidance from non-navigator family members as always, it was obvious that there was something real about those coordinates.
Because the data from the navigator's cockpit indicated that he was taking over the driving and engine power of Lakuan's Hall of Conquest in accordance with the will of Ferrus Manus, preparing to take them into the subspace.
The pressure eased as the navigator obeyed and executed the tense orders. The next batch of intensive bombardments passed through the colorful plasma gas belt and the annihilation trail of subspace energy that had just begun to dissipate, and continued to fly in the empty void until they lost power...
They hit something in the void and exploded.
The original camouflage peeled off one after another, and the flames burned on the moist and rotten fleshy shell of the ship, and were quickly extinguished by some secreted yellow pus.
"This is..."
The Iron Council, which had gathered for other matters, immediately entered a state of emergency war.
All soldiers and vehicles here are mobilized.
————————
About three hours later.
Rakuan's Hall of Conquest floats silently above the orbit of the dead world of Coinbrill.
This place is silent and desolate. Because it is worthless, there are no imperial colonies or garrisons. They jumped out of the Mandeville Point of this galaxy, which is only a few light-hours away from Medusa, and then drove in after scanning. The track is resting.
“What happened?”
Summoned into the throne room of Ferrus, Malkan respectfully addressed the Genefather on behalf of the Iron Hands' officers.
The huge silver metal form of "Ferrus Manus" sat on his mechanical throne. The Iron Hands were almost fascinated - looking at those silver metals with longing and reverence as if they were alive. It usually flows into the cracks of the throne and connects with the shining data points deep inside.
Their genetic father who returned to the world opened his eyes, and the same silvery eyeballs stared at them like molten mercury balls.
"The attack is against us, no doubt from Medusa. The sender of the verification code is Kadan Stunus."
"What-!!!" Is there a verification error somewhere? Father, it is impossible for Kadan Stunus to——"
"If I can die like that on Istvaan 5, don't mention the impossibility. When you educate the recruits, don't you say very calmly, 'No one can be trusted'? How about it, Markan, as soon as it involves you? Someone you know well and are close to, and you think it is impossible for him to commit betrayal. It seems that this commandment is not very effective even if it is memorized."
Such a strong supporting statement from the person involved. The Lord of the Forge was unable to come up with a suitable statement to refute.
In the end, he had to ask the Primarch bitterly whether his most proud disciple was suspected of betrayal and corruption, or if while they were away, the Iron Hands once again fell into the curse of strife and civil war. ?
"No." Their genetic father answered him, with a hint of subtlety in his tone, "According to analysis, his original intention was to test you, but..." Ferus seemed to smile, that Is the curve of the corner of your mouth a mockery? Malkan isn't sure.
“But I didn’t expect to fight out the real intruder in advance, which was an unexpected gain.”
"So we need to jump immediately because...?"
"It's because I found that our position at that moment was the worst: there was a test barrage in front of us - although it was a test, he used Real thing, I have to punish him when I turn around. Behind and around me were enemy warships that were originally invisible. The sensor readings sent to me by Lakuan’s Hall of Conquest at that time made me not want to wait for a second. "< br>
"I don't know about you... maybe it is true that our tactical thinking for thousands of years should indeed consider strategic retreat..."
"Ferrus" waved his hand, the golden color on his shoulders The big mechanical bird also spread its wings and chirped.
"This is not an escape, Malkan. If you knew what kind of warp chaos enemy you were about to face, you would have chosen to distance yourself immediately."
"You seem to be very familiar with them, and you can tell which kind of enemy they are without even confirming them with the naked eye."
"If you have fought against them many times, you will be familiar with them, Malkan. Don't always "They are testing me." "Ferrus" stared at the Lord of the Forge with his silver eyes, "Those are the followers of the Lord of Corruption and the Lord of Plague. Even if you have the ability to burn them, you will not give priority to fighting them in close combat. That kind of enemy."
"But the Black Legion of the Great Betrayer Abaddon has just recently..."
"Yes, it is written in Lacuan's records that Abaddon's men are. The army has just left, and your defensive battle has been hard but tenacious, Markan."
"In such a short period of time..."
"Yes." "Ferrus"'s jawline became harder and squarer, "The enemies of Chaos are here again, this time they are the followers of the evil gods, and their targets are undoubtedly Medusa and the treasures above. We Instead, they have become a force that has successfully moved away. Now, we have to find a way to reconnect and support them."
"Does it feel familiar?" He smiled, but his smile was still there. There is no warmth in it, "The Broken Legion, the Broken Legion, my children. This time, we cannot let the tragedy happen again."
(End of this chapter)