Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 503 Summary after the war
The bridge of the Faggot was bathed in the cold, blue light of the Thinker Array.

The air was filled with the slightly astringent smell of burning promethium, the metallic odor of coolant, and the incense of religious icons.

Outside the enormous porthole, the stars of the Broken Tooth Galaxy emitted a dim yellow light, reflecting the holographic star map suspended in the center of the bridge.

On that war-torn planet, the crimson glow that symbolized fierce battles gradually dimmed, leaving only the outline of scorched earth.

Loken's tall figure stood in front of the tactical holographic console, his power armor's servo joints emitting a low hum as he retrieved data.

His helmet was tucked under his arm, and his voice was deep and precise.

"Operation Anvil has ended, and the specific battle situation has been tallied." He swiped his finger across the holographic interface, and cold data and casualty reports cascaded down: "The third and fourth recruit companies of the Ash Knights, with a total of two hundred monks involved in the battle, have lost thirteen men. May their souls return to the Golden Throne."

The other forty seriously injured have all received effective treatment, but three of them are too badly injured and have been transferred to the Fearless Stone Coffin to continue serving the Emperor.

Working in conjunction with the Rostov 17th, 18th, and 19th Regiments of the Astral Army, with a casualty rate of 25%, they successfully consolidated the landing zone and completed the outer perimeter suppression. Their sacrifice will be remembered.

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the remaining conflict markings on the star map, before continuing, "There are three main tactical flaws exposed in this operation."

Firstly, the recruit company lacks effective and immediate countermeasures against elite units such as the Orc War Chief and the Heavy Armored Leader, and its heavy firepower configuration is insufficient.

Secondly, when faced with sudden, high-intensity threats, the battlefield coordination chain reacts slowly, and the speed of information transmission and decision-making at the command level is insufficient.

Third, new recruits still lack the ability to identify and respond to sudden threats in complex situations.

As Loken's voice fell, he pinpointed the core weakness of Mikhail's squad—the recruit company lacked heavy firepower and was unable to withstand the ferocious onslaught of the war chief, Broken Tooth.

Hathor Lupeka stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his tall figure accentuated by his dark gray executive uniform.

Her gaze pierced through appearances, sharp as a knife. Standing beside the star map, she scrutinized the planetary projection before her, appearing to Loken just like the War General from ten thousand years ago.

“The weakness in firepower that you pointed out is crucial, Loken,” Hathor said in a steady and authoritative voice.

The word "Loken" caused Loken's pupils to contract instantly—the approval from the Ulanora Medal Plaza clashed violently with the shadows of the Terra walls, only to be suppressed by a chilling vigilance.

Hathor operates the holographic console, bringing up a battlefield recording. The footage focuses on the moment when a war leader charges through the barrage of explosive fire, tearing through the defensive line.

“Loken, the core of the problem is as you emphasized: the standard firepower of the recruit company cannot suppress heavily armored elites.” Hathor pointed his finger at the war chief’s heavy armor. “The bomb guns and chainsaws lack stopping power and armor-piercing depth.”

When war leaders charge, the defensive lines lack heavily fortified strongholds capable of withstanding their onslaught.

The scene shifts to another battlefield scene on Eagle's Nest Rock: a Gravis-type Annihilator squad's heavy bombs promptly concentrated fire, abruptly halting the heavy armor leader's charge.

“Eagle’s Nest proves,” Hathor said coldly, “that to counter heavily armored elites, you need immediate, concentrated heavy firepower with armor-piercing capabilities, and even more so, heavily armored units that can withstand counterattacks and stabilize the defensive line to support this firepower output.”

Loken remained silent as a statue, his voice steady, yet he maintained a constant suspicion and wariness of Hathor: "Do you think the tactics need to be adjusted?"

"No," Hathor said firmly.

Her gaze lingered briefly on Loken's visor, a fleeting, enigmatic light flashing across her eyes before returning to its cold intensity. "Basic training is the skeleton; the skeleton needs flesh and soul." Her fingertips traced the Elegy VII and Broken Tooth markings on the star map: "The soul is forged in the crucible of combat, and now we need to fill the skeleton with flesh and blood."

The solution was a structural adjustment, assigning each new recruit company a dedicated veteran swordsman squad as its core, integrating Gravis-type heavy armor units to make the company both offensive and defensive.

She emphasized: "The Gravis-type heavy armor provides Terminator-level defense, and the powerful power backpack supports continuous heavy firepower output. They are the new pillars of company operations, using strong armor to withstand fierce attacks and heavy firepower to accurately kill enemies."

Her gaze was sharp as a sword, piercing through the star map: "Let the new blood fight in true elite combat, alongside the veteran sword guards and the heavy armored units of Gravis."

Learn firsthand: how to establish a solid firing point by relying on heavy armor units, how to coordinate heavy firepower for precision strikes under high pressure, and how to proactively maintain the lifeline against elites during command breaks.

This is the crucible for compensating for shortcomings in firepower and forging the resilience of the battle group.

Loken's breathing was heavy, and he finally said in a deep voice, "This would significantly deviate from the Astartes Codex's standard format."

Although Loken didn't care much about the Holy Scriptures, he still understood that some things shouldn't be done too outrageously.

Hathor's lips curled into a cold smile, his molten gold eyes displaying utter contempt for dogma: "The Holy Scripture is a tool to serve living warriors, not a shroud to bind the power of the Empire."

The bridge fell silent for a moment, broken only by the perpetual low-frequency hum of the Thinker Array, like the heartbeat of the warship.

Chen Xi's voice came from the side, calm and decisive, breaking the silence: "Execute according to Ms. Hathor's plan. Even the commander of the Thirteenth Legion wouldn't object to that. Also, is Operation Forge in final preparation status?"

Loken turned to the governor, data scrolling through his eyepiece: "Fifth Company and First Company Terminator Assault Squad complete final equipment checks and blessings; Think Tank's psionic suppression array is warmed up, ritual matrix is ​​ready. But..."

He paused for a moment, his voice growing colder: "The Tribunal sent a highest-priority encrypted communication three standard hours ago, requesting a second tactical confirmation of the purification target of Elegy VII planet."

Hathor's eyes flashed with a dangerous, molten gold light, like a volcano about to erupt, but it was instantly suppressed by his icy will: "Inform them that the target has been confirmed, the Plague Fortress occupied by the Rotten Claws of the Nurgle Cult."

The evidence of desecration and the pollution level report were submitted to the court archives seventy-two standard hours prior.

If one insists on seeing it for oneself, any judge is welcome to personally land on that planet covered in plague miasma and festering sores for on-site investigation.

Chen Xi let out a soft, ambiguous laugh, raising his hand to stop the further argument: "I will handle the interrogation in the courtroom. Loken, relay the orders: Curator Ahriman, immediately begin the psionic suppression ritual; the fleet shall maintain silent navigation."

Upon reaching the high orbit of Elegy VII, there is no need to wait for secondary confirmation; proceed directly with the orbital drop. Time is the Emperor's will.

“Yes, Your Excellency.” Loken bowed and accepted the order, then turned and walked toward the communications array, his heavy footsteps echoing on the adamantite deck.

Hathor's gaze locked once again on the star chart, on the star Elegy VII, which emitted an ominous purple-black light.

Simulated images of the planet's surface show swirling, yellow-green, toxic clouds and festering earth, like festering sores on the trunk of the universe.

The real furnace is about to be lit.

(End of this chapter)