Chapter 1 Star Knight
Standard Terra Calendar.912.M41
In the void, many ships gathered together, and the gorgeously decorated and battlemented ships stood in the silent darkness. It was moving slowly, as if it was about to hold an epic rally.
The cathedral standing in the complex superstructure of the ship seems to be dug directly from the ground and carved directly into the battleship. The magnificent spire scratches clear tracks among the stars.
After a while, the carefully carved sagittal bows began to turn. The formation was majestic and full of power. They all turned in the dark direction invariably.
The torch burned, incompatible with the surrounding vacuum environment. The plasma flames ejected from the chimney on the gunmetal-colored shell that spread thousands of meters, leaving a pale orange wake in the space.
Such a signal will only be used before a conflict breaks out. The jet of flames regardless of consumption and the burning heat are the signals to be conveyed to the enemy——
"We have brought "The light of destruction"
The giant ship with a dark green armed bow that leads the fleet seems to be cut out from the shadow of the steel jungle of the fleet, like a dagger stabbed by a silent killer, even if Being slow can also make the enemy unable to escape and unable to resist.
Just the way the ship is decorated is a bit disappointing.
The only decoration of this ship is its natural militarized character. The pear-shaped bow is etched with a large text in a person-high font: the time fought, the world reached, and the enemies destroyed.
There are two specific decorations that can be listed - the golden double-headed eagle on the uppermost bridge and the logo made of huge nickel and iron, two crossed swords.
More ships followed, gradually forming a spear-shaped battle formation starting with her.
To show the unshakable determination of the Space Marines, the builders proudly carved a huge name on the hull of this battleship: the Storm
The bridge of the Storm is A solemn place, like an ancient temple lost beneath the waves, intricately carved walls and pillars stretching toward vaults illuminated by the glimmer of the ancient ship's energy shield, rock-like walls and aged decks as transitional Stage chants plummet and resonate, while buzzing cherubs fly overhead brandishing automatic censers.
The red-robed Mechanicus priests were chanting loudly, joining the high Gothic monophonic chants with experienced calmness. Their prayers could greatly appease the increasingly irritable machine spirits.
"...Astral Knights, as Astartes we have embarked on a path of hardship and dedication. As your Chapter Masters, when we protected the territory of His Majesty the Emperor in the past, I have asked a lot from you and have made these requests often...
But this sentence has never been more true than now!
The world engine has been plowed in this sector. A path of destruction, it must be stopped! No weapon can hurt it, no teleportation can penetrate it, but we can! We can tear this beast's heart out and stop its violence!"
Chapter Master Amurad was making his final pre-battle speech. Chapter Chaplain Masayak stood beside him. A banner with the cross-swords emblem was gently swinging above everyone's heads, and artificial air currents Shuttled through the steel beam structure, even the low hum from the servo skulls floating around was masked by the huge noise outside.
Under the golden eyes of the Empire's double-headed eagle, 772 warriors in silver armor lined up neatly in the Hall of Glory, listening to the Chapter Master's preaching, as motionless as marble sculptures.
Although the deck under their feet, the surrounding walls, and even every welded joint and every screw were groaning in pain.
What they are standing on is the battle barge [Storm], a battleship full of legends.
It was started 4,000 years ago in the shipyard of the forging world Ruize. Throughout the entire empire, only 6 ships of the same class have been built, and now only three are still sailing in the star sea.
Although their design drawings and construction secrets have long been lost in the dust of history, each Ruize class is known for its extremely sturdy bow structure. They are designed to shuttle through space. Between mines and complex asteroid fields, the Ryze class can withstand impacts that other ships cannot.
Some Tech-priests even believe that in terms of strength alone, the Ruize-class is even as good as the Glory Queen-class.
It is precisely because of this characteristic that Chapter Leader Amurad came up with his own plan during his dispute with Captain Venetilius of the 7th Company of the Ultramarines - this was also a crazy plan. .
The Storm will ram directly into the World Engine, breaking through the opponent's seemingly indestructible stance of denial like a sharp nail piercing the tough hide.
Subsequently, all the Astral Knights will board the World Engine for a final push.
This is an almost suicidal plan, but it is not a simple heroic plot, but this weapon has threatened everyone...
One standard Terran month ago, the appearance of the World Engine in the Vader subsystem was completely unexpected by the Empire.
Until now, it is still unclear whether the World Engine is a tomb world of the undead driven by alien technology, or whether it is just a planet-class battleship built in the darkness among the stars.
After the World Engine's Gauss Projectile Cannon reduced two agricultural worlds in the Vader subsystem to scorched earth, speculation as to its origins was cast aside, and its destruction was the only consideration. Under Terra's rare and efficient instructions, the Vader system gathered a huge fleet and no less than fifteen Space Marine Chapters, including the Ultramarines, Astral Knights, Invaders and Aurora Chapter and other historic interstellar warbands. Warrior Chapter.
They concentrated their attacks on the World Engine, which was carrying out bloody harvests among the planets, but even the most powerful weapons of mankind could not break through the energy shield of the World Engine, even if it was launched More than ten assaults and more than twenty attempts to overwhelm the enemy with courage and firepower only resulted in countless sunk and damaged warships and millions of casualties.
What's worse is that a gang-hopping attack seems impossible. Neither the landing pod nor the assault craft can penetrate the shield of the world engine. Even the teleportation beam is having its frequency scrambled when it is projected on its surface. Invader Chapter After losing two entire teams of Terminators for this reason, any similar attempts were prohibited.
Under such circumstances, the commander of the 7th Ultramarines Company, Venetilius, asked all troops to retreat, and such a result would expose the hive world of Wawencost to the scythe of the Necron——This There are 2.1 billion living beings living on the planet.
Amurad, the leader of the Astral Knights Chapter, had a heated argument with the opponent, and finally decided to adopt this extreme plan, which would most likely cost the entire Chapter.
All the Astral Knights knew what this plan meant, and no one showed any objection. This was their fate. From the moment they accepted the transformation, they put on this body that symbolized the supreme honor. From the moment he acquired the power armor, sacrifice became the ultimate destination for all Space Marines.
They are extensions of the immortal will, the Emperor's angels of death, walking final punishments, and the last strong shield between humanity and the eternal dark galaxy.
The emperor's will is set by a candle, and the monsters will be exterminated in the cave.
"...candle the emperor's will, and destroy the monsters in the hole."
The sergeant Soshyan Alexey, who belongs to the fourth combat team of the sixth company of the battle group, repeatedly recited him silently This is the most profound prayer in my memory. Other battle brothers in the communication channel are doing similar things.
He is considered a new recruit, having just left the scout company thirty years ago.
Thirty years, for a mortal, may be half of a life, but for a space warrior, it is just the moment when the hourglass turns over.
Strong tremors penetrated the magnetic locks on the soles of the boots. The battleship that was originally sailing extremely smoothly was now like a small sampan struggling in the turbulent tide.
Soshyan didn't need to see it with his own eyes to know that the Storm had begun to engage in fire contact with the enemy.
He can detect the unique impact. For example, the sound of the laser cannon hitting the deck is different from that of the laser array. The roar of the macro cannon is like a volcanic eruption, each time accompanied by painful pain. shock.
After a while, there was another sound like a grinder.
This is the sound made when a large amount of firepower hits the armor that is not protected by the shield. At this moment, the posture of the Storm is as if it is close to its prey while hunting, and hits hard towards the ribs. One knife.
If it weren't for the extremely strong and unusually strong bow structure of the Storm, it would probably have disintegrated under the intense enemy firepower, but this was actually only a matter of time.
Through the helmet, Soshyan could smell everything around him exuding the smell of death, including the cold machinery, which was also mixed with the unique chemical smell of burning pipes and molten metal. .
The servants are running around and screaming below the deck. They may not have such lofty thoughts, but as the saying goes-
Sacrifice is the cornerstone of the empire.
Whatever their will, this is bound to happen, and the Emperor will use his currency at the right time and in the right place.
World Engine seems like a good place.
But before that, before everything was about to end, the mortal thoughts in Soshiyang's mind that had been silent for a long time became active again.
As with most dying people, there is always something like a ghost trying to make these great warriors feel the true pain of death again.
That thing is called memory...
(End of this chapter)