Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 509 The Primarch Returns
Inside the bridge of the Faggot, outside the huge observation window, the yellowish-green miasma clouds rolling around the planet Elegy VII resembled a rotting wound, emitting a nauseating psychic stench.

The lighting inside the bridge remained constant, with only the holographic tactical console and countless control panels emitting a cold, hard glow.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of promethium fuel, ozone, and the metallic deck, interspersed with the faint whispers of blasphemy emanating from the battlefield below.

On the holographic star map, the cluster of light points representing the Ash Knights has firmly gathered in the area marked "Purification Point Alpha".

At this moment, they are advancing steadily into the depths of the planet in a tight wedge formation.

What awaited them ahead was the colossal building marked in deep red and codenamed "Rotten Fortress," like a hideous scar on the planet.

A distorted and greasy energy field enveloped the fortress as if it were alive.

Within the energy field, countless blasphemous runes pulsed incessantly, like living things.

Chen Xi stood ramrod straight in front of the tactical platform, the judge's rose knot on the governor's uniform gleaming metallically in the cold light.

His gaze pierced through the hologram, focusing intently on the almost tangible corrupted force field surrounding the fortress, a fusion of planetary shields and chaotic magic.

On the tactical data panel at hand, data streams scrolled rapidly: energy readings, shield decay curves, orbital strike simulation results... each item pointed to the same grim conclusion.

He raised his hand, his fingers landing steadily on the image of the fortress shield, causing ripples to spread across the distorted light membrane.

His deep voice clearly penetrated the hum of the bridge and reached Hathor's ears.

As he spoke, a set of glaring red assessment data was displayed and projected between the two: "The fortress's defenses are extraordinary. It is based on a planetary shield and superimposed with a distortion enhancement field of chaos magic."

Our orbital artillery energy is dispersed, absorbed, and even distorted, with an effective conversion rate of less than five percent.

“Conventional railgun fire is simply ineffective at penetrating this barrier.” He turned to Hathor, his eyes calm and unfathomable. “We need more powerful methods to break through the shield. Assess whether it’s worthwhile to utilize the power of the Knight families.”
Or, should we immediately mobilize the Titan Legion's firepower? Their heavily armed arrays were designed to crush such defenses.

Hathor was dressed in a sharp, dark gray executive uniform, but at this moment, the aura he exuded far exceeded his official position.

Her molten gold pupils were also fixed on the fortress on the star map. When she heard Chen Xi's analysis, the corners of her mouth pursed into a cold, hard line.

“Knights? Titans?” Her voice sounded calm, but every word carried the decisiveness of a legion commander, without any hesitation. “The mobilization procedures are too complicated and time-consuming to coordinate. It would take several weeks to get the knight families assembled and the Titan legions deployed. We don’t have time to wait.”

She turned her head slightly, her sharp golden eyes staring directly at Chen Xi, as if they could see through his appearance: "Your Excellency, the most effective and direct way to deal with such a corrupt core that is deeply rooted in the corrupt land is often not by slowly bombarding it with long-range heavy artillery."

Chen Xi's brows remained unchanged, but a hint of understanding flashed deep in his eyes. He nodded slightly and asked, "What is your plan?"

Hathor's lips twitched upwards very quickly, forming a cold, brief arc that carried a familiar power—the kind of resolute determination that belonged to a brother known for his rage.

“It’s very simple,” her voice was crisp, like giving a battle command, “just like Angron would do.”

Before she finished speaking, her gaze had already sharply shifted behind her, landing on Loken, who stood silently like a statue. Her command was concise and direct: "My equipment. Ready?"

"Ready." A short, clear, and resolute reply came from behind Loken's masked head.
-
On the surface of planet Elegy VII, in the outer region of the purification point Alpha.

The charred and shattered earth was covered with congealed blood and various burnt remains.

The air was thick with the acrid smell of rotting flesh, lingering gunpowder fumes, and suffocatingly dense whispers of blasphemous psionic energy—whispers that seemed to pierce to the bone, causing a profound unease in the very depths of one's soul. The warriors of the Ash Knights' Fifth Company and the Terminator Assault Team of the First Company were ready.

They silently formed a wedge formation on the scorched earth, their armored ranks imposing.

The deep hum of the power backpack blended into a continuous background sound, while the chainsaw sword emitted a low, lurching roar.

The visors on all the soldiers' helmets were fixed on the distant horizon: there stood a "rotten fortress" that resembled a giant, decaying tumor.

Its foul, ethereal light shone like a lighthouse in the darkness, exceptionally clear against the dim yellow sky.

The fortress was surrounded by a greasy, sickly green energy barrier interwoven with blasphemous runes. This barrier, as tough as the skin of a boil, tightly enveloped the sinful core within.

Suddenly, a sharp, piercing shriek that seemed to tear through the air crashed down from the murky sky.

A Thunderhawk gunship painted in the iconic black and white quarter colors of the Ash Knights appeared.

Its engine nozzles left trails of blazing blue plasma flames as it fearlessly pierced through the churning, toxic miasma clouds high in the sky with a near-maximum vertical dive.

The scorching airflow from the gunboat's raging engine slammed into the ground like an invisible giant hammer.

The accumulated filth, mud, and gravel were instantly blown away, forming a circular impact crater with a radius of tens of meters.

The scorching heatwave forced the nearest Astartes warriors to instinctively activate the attitude stabilizers on their power armor to steady themselves.

Amidst the deafening roar of the hydraulic system, the gunboat's heavy hatches slid open violently to both sides.

A terrifying pressure, far exceeding that of ordinary Astartes warriors and as solid as a mountain, instantly spread out.

This oppressive force was so heavy that it seemed to freeze the surrounding air for a brief moment.

The long leg armor, encased in ivory-white Terminator armor, strode out with a fierce step, its magnetic combat boots landing heavily on the charred and cracked rocks, accompanied by a heart-palpitating thud and the sound of rocks shattering.

Then, the iconic, sleek, yet destructively powerful, flawless ivory-white Terminator power armor was fully revealed.

The majestic Imperial double-headed eagle emblem and the Eye of Horus symbol on the shoulder armor reflected a cold, hard metallic luster in the dim light of Elegy VII.

A huge wolf-skin cloak, its fur as silvery-grey as moonlight, cascaded down his broad shoulders, fluttering wildly and beating against his heavy armor in the stench and smoke of the wind.

Hathor Lupeka – has shed all pretense and reverted to her original genetic form's extraordinary, nearly five-meter-tall physique.

She arrived on the battlefield fully armed.

His left hand easily gripped the legendary warhammer "Worldbreaker," which was enveloped in a dark blue energy field, its head humming faintly.

On his right hand he wore the "Claw of Horus," a finely crafted, gleaming power claw.

The ceremonial dagger at his waist gleamed with a cold, eerie ebony light.

(End of this chapter)