Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 298 The Battle of Kharkiv, Part 4

The Titus squad has an exceptionally heavy combat mission.

This elite squad is responsible for defending a key but vulnerable section of the defensive line. They not only have to work in coordination with the Astragalus infantry, but also bear the heavy responsibility of clearing out all kinds of Necromancer war machines that appear on the position.

These ancient death machines could tear apart humanity's fragile defenses at any moment.

This mission is far more difficult than it appears on the surface—those damn alien vehicles either possess astonishingly high mobility, appearing and disappearing unpredictably on the battlefield, or they can simply penetrate physical obstacles and launch surprise attacks from the most unexpected angles!
If it weren't for the valuable experience gained from previous battles with the Necromancers, coupled with the painful lessons learned by the expeditionary force on the Donetsk front, this defensive battle would probably have ended in disaster long ago.

Fortunately, the Mechanics Association equipped the front-line troops with the latest weaponry (MK10 series), including some incredibly powerful weapons.

It was the powerful support of these technological creations that enabled the first landing force to maintain its position even under such adverse combat conditions.

The first group of Astartes who landed in the Rostov Sector numbered about five hundred. The vast majority of them were warriors from various battle groups who responded to the Inquisition's call to the battlefield after Chen Xi sent out the first distress signal.

These battle-hardened soldiers paid a heavy price in the Battle of Donetsk—many companies suffered more than half their casualties, and some entire combat squads were wiped out.

The surviving Astartes had to retreat to the rear to rest and resupply, and the frontline defenses were once only supported by the Astragalus and a few remaining chapters.

The situation only improved after the Black Templars, the Celestial Lions Legion, and two Holy Blood Angels sub-legions arrived to provide reinforcements.

These newly arrived reinforcements significantly enhanced the expeditionary force's striking power, but most of them were incorporated into the second wave of landing troops.

Therefore, the first group to return to the front lines were mainly veterans who had undergone a short rest and rearmed—carrying the blood and fire memories of Donetsk, they stepped once again into this battlefield that had devoured countless brothers.

Titus and his fellow Astartes, as the first Astartes to join this expedition, have been fighting in this sector for some time.

They not only battled the massive boulders of the Necromancers on the surface of Rostov, but also proved themselves in the subsequent Battle of Donetsk.

In the Battle of Donetsk, multiple battle groups were engaged in the fighting, but most of them suffered losses.

Even the Ash Knights, who had a good relationship with Chen Xi, suffered heavy losses in this expedition, and even one of the Chapter's holy Dauntless Elders fell.

But the Emperor's favor seemed to extend to the Titans squad.

The five-man squad miraculously survived, with the only loss being Keithstross's right arm being grazed by a Gaussian beam during a raid.

The eerie green light brushed past the seams of the power armor, and to save his life, Titus had to use his chainsaw sword to sever his comrade's arm with his own hands.

After the battle, despite the insistence of the Tatus squad that they could continue fighting, the expeditionary command forced them to withdraw to Rostov for rest and reorganization.

Although the Tatus squad felt they didn't need a rest, they obeyed orders and withdrew from Donetsk back to Rostov.

After all, although their squad came from five different chapters and carried the Deathwatch banner, all five of them were subjects of heresy investigations by the Inquisitors.

Although their past accusations had been erased thanks to Chen Xi's mediation, this still made the Titus Squad unconsciously feel inferior in front of Chen Xi. Fortunately, their rest period didn't last long. After the mechanics installed brand-new prosthetics on Ketterstross and performed in-depth maintenance on the armor and weapons of all squad members, new combat orders were issued.

The Titus Squad, along with other elite members of the chapter who had completed their rest, once again embarked on their journey.

When they returned to the battlefield, the entire expeditionary force's command structure had been reorganized—the three company commanders of the Ash Knights Chapter had taken over supreme command.

Titus's squad was assigned to Captain Ventanus's command and, along with other Astartes returning to the battlefield, was honorably selected for the first landing force.

This honor made the heart beneath Tytus's power armor pound violently.

In the war creed passed down through the millennia in Astartes, the vanguard position always belongs only to the bravest warriors.

Only those champion warriors who have won numerous honors in battle and have repeatedly won awards in the warband are qualified to receive this supreme honor—to be the first to tear through the enemy's defenses, the first warrior to face death, and the first vanguard to bring victory to the emperor.

The Titus squad's stunning performance perfectly validated the command's decision.

Within thirty standard hours of engaging in combat, this elite squad had achieved astonishing results—fourteen space necromantic war vehicles were reduced to scrap metal by their firepower, including three fearsome Doomsday Hunters.

(Doomsday Hunter, similar to the Protoss Colossus in StarCraft 2)
These terrifying weapons, which had wiped out an entire Astronautical infantry regiment in the Battle of Donetsk, fell one after another thanks to the precise tactical coordination of the Titus Squad.

The defensive lines they defended were not only rock-solid, but also played a crucial role in the battle.

Taking advantage of a rare lull in the fighting, the Astronautical Engineering Corps established permanent fortifications in this safe zone carved out by the blood of the Astartes monks.

When the first seismic artillery shell roared across the battlefield, this steel fortress had already become the most solid strategic stronghold in the entire war zone.

The Astronaut soldiers who fought alongside the Titus Squad looked at them with an almost religious awe.

"Truly the Emperor's angel"—such whispers echoed through the trenches.

Whenever he saw the gleam of worship in the eyes of these mortals, Titus would recall his time serving in the Ultramarines.

As a descendant of Robert Guilliman, protecting humanity and being at the forefront are ingrained in his genes.

Those mortals he saved from the brink of death, those survivors who witnessed Astartes' true power, always had a similar look in their eyes—a mixture of gratitude, awe, and faith.

Titus was all too familiar with that gaze, just as he was familiar with every scar on his own body.

Now, Titus and his companions, once again standing on the front lines, are about to face a new challenge: a small squad of heavily armored Necromancers has appeared in their field of vision, intending to attack this defensive line.

(Heavy Locust Destroyer)
"For the Emperor!" Titus roared, leading his teammates as they charged towards the abominable metallic aliens.

(End of this chapter)