Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 731 Saturn-shaped Appearance

Just as Chen Xi was struggling to maintain the crumbling battle line at the command post, and Lion King and Leona were fighting bloody battles in the void and on the ground respectively, the joint team that was responsible for a key part of the final plan had already arrived at the huge focusing prism control station that was orbiting the binary stars.

The massive metal structure of the control station reflected a cold, hard luster under the starlight, but behind its external observation windows, there was no longer cold machinery and lights, but a layer of writhing, seemingly living organic matter covering it.

Rough chitinous growths and viscous secretions can also be seen at the ventilation ducts and external docking hatches—the Tyranid swarm has already taken the lead, defiling and occupying this vital facility.

"The control station has been biocontaminated." The leader, the Dark Angel Deathwing Knight, spoke in a deep voice. The Terminator armor's servo system emitted a slight hum, and the assault cannon in his hand was already aimed at the main airlock that was blocked by organic matter.

A Blood Angel Terminator standing beside him snorted coldly, gripping his power gauntlets tightly: "Then purify it."

The accompanying Morpheus tomb engineers, though expressionless on their cold, metallic faces, clearly expressed their extreme disgust at these "biological filth" that desecrated the dynasty's creations through the intensely flashing light of their eerie green optical sensors.

No further words were needed; a brief alliance based on shared goals was formed instantly.

"Bombs, clear the way!" the Deathwing Knight commanded.

In an instant, a barrage of explosive bombs, plasma beams, and the necromancer's Gaussian weapon simultaneously bombarded the organic matter sealing the airlock.

Accompanied by a nauseating tearing sound and a burnt smell, the thick layer of biological tissue was instantly evaporated, tearing open a charred hole.

Almost at the same time the entrance was breached, a tidal wave of hissing erupted from inside the control station.

Countless Tyranid creatures of all shapes and sizes—from swift Blade Worms to gun worms that spew acidic spores, and even massive, heavily armored warrior worms—swarmed out of the shadows of the passageways and from the maintenance pipes in the ceiling, attacking the intruders.

"For the Emperor and Caliban!" the Deathwing Knight roared, his assault cannons spitting out devastating flames that shattered the leading Zerg units into pieces.

His heavy Terminator armor withstood the sporadic acidic droplets and bone spikes, hissing and corroding, yet remained unmoved.

"The blood of Saint Gilles will never yield!" The Saint Blood Angel Terminator swung its power gauntlets, each strike containing the power to shatter mountains, smashing any alien that dared to approach into a bloody pulp, armor and shell intact.

His presence was like a red reef, firmly anchored at the forefront of the battle line.

The Astartes warriors formed tight assault formations, using explosives, flames, and power weapons to create a mobile death zone, advancing step by step deeper into the control station. The passageways were narrow, and the fighting was almost entirely bloody close-quarters combat.

The roar of chainsaws and the sound of armor shattering were incessant, and green alien blood mixed with the filth splattered on the Astartes power armor.

The Necromancers of Space, on the other hand, displayed a completely different fighting style.

They did not engage in direct combat on the front lines, but rather moved like phantoms behind the defensive lines formed by the Astartes warriors.

Their phasing technology allows them to briefly pass through obstacles or teleport short distances to avoid a direct hit from the swarm.

The Gauss weapon in his hand emitted a strange green energy ray, which did not tear apart flesh, but directly decomposed and dissipated the target at the molecular level, silently and yet equally deadly.

Occasionally, they would activate some kind of device to release a small-scale spacetime distortion, temporarily imprisoning a small group of Zerg units, or use a powerful energy field to deflect the heavy biological artillery fire of the Hive Warriors.

This is a clash between a coalition of vastly different styles and a pure biological torrent.

The resilience, faith, and devastating frontal firepower of the Empire of Astartes, combined with the uncanny technology and precise, ruthless methods of killing of the Necromancers of the Space, created a bizarre yet effective complement.

There was no verbal communication between the two sides, only instinctive coordination based on the battlefield situation.

The Astartes draw the main fire and bear the frontal pressure, while the Necromancers clear out troublesome ranged units, break through the biological barriers the swarm tries to build, and guide the team along the optimal path.

Every step forward was accompanied by sacrifice. A Blood Angel warrior, while slaying a Warrior Insect, was struck from the side by a Genestealer whose claws pierced the neck seam of his power armor, and fell heroically.

When surrounded by several warrior insects, a dark angel bravely activated a molten bomb, sacrificing himself to destroy the enemy and blasting open the last chitinous barrier leading to the core area for the team.

Finally, after sacrificing several elite warriors, the combined squad broke through the swarm's layers of defenses and reached the core of the control station—the main control room.

A massive control console, covered in ancient necromantic runes and interfaces, appeared before them, but its surface was also covered with writhing biological neural networks, as if the entire control station was being assimilated by the will of the hive.

"Technician! Clean the filth, activate the device! We're buying you time!" The Deathwing Knight turned around and, together with the remaining warriors, quickly built the last line of defense at the entrance to the control room. The bomb guns were pointed at the shrill, dark passage they had come from, where more insect reinforcements were pouring in.

The tomb engineers moved forward silently, ignoring the sticky organic matter beneath their feet, their metal fingers precisely inserting into specific interfaces on the control panel.

The eerie green energy flowed along the runes, clashing violently with the disgusting biological neural network, producing crackling energy arcs.

The struggle for purification and control is being waged tensely in this last remaining space.

The sounds of gunfire, explosions, and roars outside indicated that the last line of defense was under immense pressure.

There is little time left.
-
Just as Chen Xi was struggling to maintain the overall battle line in the command center, the encrypted emergency communication from the joint team of the control station pierced through the complex flow of information in front of him like a piercing ice pick.

The Deathwing Knight's heavy and urgent voice in the communications clearly conveyed the precarious situation within the control station—the swarm was heavily besieging them, the squad had suffered heavy casualties, and the Tomb Technicians were making slow progress due to severe biomass contamination, urgently needing reinforcements.

Chen Xi's heart sank.

He quickly scanned the overall tactics panel. Both Lion King and Leona were firmly tied down by the main force of the Zerg and unable to break free. As the Legion's last strategic reserve, Deathwing of the Dark Angels needed to guard the "Stone" fortress to deal with the worst-case scenario, and could not be moved lightly either.

His gaze finally settled on the area representing the deployment of the Holy Blood Angels' power, and an idea instantly formed.

He immediately connected to the emergency channel with the Holy Blood Angels fleet command, his tone decisive and leaving no room for doubt: "This is Inquisitor Chen Xi. The joint control station team is on the verge of collapse, and the mission is at risk of failure."

I order that a squad of Saturn Terminators be immediately drawn from the Baal Defense Reserve, aboard the fastest transport ships, and, at all costs, forcefully land on the control station to relieve the squad!

The Saturn-type Terminators, the ancient glory rebuilt by the Blood Angels in cooperation with the Rostov Subsector, these mobile fortresses equipped with the Empire's most advanced weaponry, are now serving as a vital reserve force for the defense of Balben. Deploying them to the perilous control station is undoubtedly a risky move, but Chen Xi judges that only these elite units, possessing both extreme defense and devastating firepower, could possibly turn the tide of battle quickly in the confined and bloody environment of the control station.

The Blood Angels did not hesitate. Commander Dante had already granted Chen Xi overall coordination authority for the operations in the Hades system; they were well aware of the control station's importance. "Understood, Inquisitor. Saturn Terminator Squad, depart immediately!"

Soon, three specially reinforced Blood Angel Thunderhawk gunships, escorted by several Storm Raven gunships, shot out from the main fleet formation like three crimson meteors, ignoring the sporadic insect swarm interception fire along the way, and headed straight for the control station covered in organic matter at maximum speed.

Inside the control station, the remaining members of the joint team are facing their final moments.

The defensive line has been compressed to a very small area at the entrance of the main control room, the explosives are about to run out, and the power armor is badly damaged.

Just as a Dark Angel Deathwing Knight smashed the last Zerg Guardian that had breached the defensive line with his power gauntlets, and his own energy shield malfunctioned due to overload—

"boom!!!"

The armor plates on the side of the control station were suddenly torn apart and melted from the outside by a tremendous force!
A scorching wave of air and metal fragments swept in, instantly wiping out a large area of ​​the swarm units.

Amidst the smoke and fire, several crimson figures, resembling mobile fortresses, stepped into this bloody inferno with heavy yet resolute strides.

On their heavy Saturn-shaped Terminator armor, the emblem of the Holy Blood Angels gleamed in the dim light, and their unique thermal diffraction field formed a faint halo around them, deflecting and dissipating the sporadic biological acid and bone spurs that were shot at them.

"We will live up to the blood of Saint Gilles!" The leading Saturn Terminator squad leader roared, his twin heavy disintegration cannons on his shoulders humming and their muzzles glowing with a dangerous light.

The Terminators beside him, some wielding equally deadly plasma cannons, others brandishing massive Saturn-shaped destructive gauntlets, whose integrated particle-shredding secondary weapons were already charging, radiating an aura of destruction.

The next moment, the newly arrived Saturn Terminators, like an unstoppable red anvil, smashed into the swarm of insects.

The invisible energy beams fired from the twin heavy disintegration cannons swept across the swarm of insects. The aliens that were hit did not explode, but instead disintegrated and dissipated silently like sandcastles.

The plasma bombardment spewed out scorching molten core fluid, vaporizing the Hive Warrior and its surrounding minions.

Wielding the Destruction Gauntlets, the Terminator is like a human battering ram, each strike containing the power to shatter reinforced concrete, smashing any enemy who dares to get close into dust, armor and all. The occasional activation of the particle shredder on the gauntlets can completely annihilate a swarm of insects in a small area.

Their thermal diffraction field efficiently deflects and disperses the swarm's long-range firepower, and can even withstand the aftershocks of close-range plasma bombardment explosions.

Their armor's built-in teleportation synchronizers are linked to the squad commander's beacon, ready to launch deadly coordinated teleportation strikes at any time.

The arrival of this new force instantly stabilized the collapsing defenses and, with a powerful counterattack, forced the swarm to retreat, gaining valuable breathing space for the area near the control room entrance.

With strong reinforcements, the remaining members of the joint team were greatly encouraged and quickly coordinated with the Saturn Terminator to consolidate the defenses.

With the pressure suddenly reduced, the tomb engineers were finally able to focus on the final system hacking and purification work without any interference.

On the control panel, eerie green necromantic energy flowed at an unprecedented speed, rapidly devouring and stripping away the repulsive biological neural network.

Hope, with the arrival of this crimson colossus equipped with ancient and cutting-edge technology, is rekindled in this bloody inferno.
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Inside the core control room of the control station, as the last trace of the nauseating biomass neural network completely disintegrated and turned to ashes under the scouring of the eerie green necromantic energy, the cold metal fingers of the Morpheus tomb engineer were finally able to operate smoothly on the pristine control interface.

Ancient and complex runes lit up one after another, and a huge array of focusing lenses orbiting the binary stars began to emit a deep energy hum. Its orientation and focusing parameters were being recalibrated. The goal was no longer to absorb energy, but to release it destructively.

The combined squad, especially the newly arrived Blood Angel Saturn Terminators, firmly guarded the passage outside the main control room, ruthlessly eliminating any Zerg units that attempted to interfere with the final stage of the operation.

The tomb technician's concise report came through the communicator: "System purification complete. Calibration sequence initiated. Estimated completion time: fifteen standard points."

This crucial information was immediately transmitted back to the command center aboard the Indomitable Truth.

Upon receiving the message, Chen Xi's tense nerves did not completely relax; instead, he entered a more efficient and calmer command state.

The window of opportunity has opened, but it is equally narrow and dangerous.

"Attention all units, the 'Purification Protocol' has entered its final activation sequence. Repeat, the 'Purification Protocol' has been activated." Chen Xi's voice came through the global communication channel, clear and calm, without the slightest fluctuation. "All ground troops, immediately execute the 'Final Evacuation' order, abandon the outer positions, and assemble at the pre-designated deep bunkers or the last batch of transport ships. You don't have much time left."

He turned to the Astragalus and Battle Sisters' command channel: "Ground blocking mission complete. I order you to immediately evacuate the battlefield. Repeat, all ground units, highest priority—evacuate."

At the same time, he issued new orders to the fleet: "All Imperial ships, including the 'Stone' fortress, shall immediately disengage from the current combat zone and execute the 'Shadow Evasion' maneuver."

Using the planet's mass as a barrier, the system maneuvers to the shadowy side of the planet, maximizing its distance from the star's direct rays. The Void Shield operates at full power, prepared to counter any potential high-energy radiation repercussions.

The command was executed swiftly.

The ground troops, who were engaged in a bloody battle with the Zerg swarm, began to retreat in an orderly manner. They abandoned the positions they had held for so long and, in company and platoon units, under the command of their officers, braved the still fierce pursuit of the Zerg swarm and rushed toward their last chance for survival.

The transport ship risked one last takeoff and landing amidst the gunfire to retrieve the wounded soldiers.

In space, Imperial ships adjusted their course, overloaded their engines, and left dazzling contrails as they forcibly broke away from the swarm of Zerg bio-ships, recklessly heading toward the far side of the nearest planet.

In order to cover the main force's retreat, some of the rearguard destroyers and frigates resolutely charged towards the pursuing enemy, using self-destructive attacks to delay the swarm's advance.

The Hive Will seemed to have sensed the increasingly intense energy threat emanating from the star, becoming even more frenzied and launching increasingly frenzied attacks in an attempt to prevent the Empire's evacuation. Some of the bio-ships even began to turn around and launch a desperate charge towards the lens array and control station, but they were all intercepted by the well-prepared Imperial fleet and the control station's defenders.

Throughout the Hades system, a bizarre scene unfolded: the Imperial forces were shrinking back like a tide towards the "shadow" region behind the planets; while the Tyranid swarm, like irrational beasts, pounced on every target with even greater frenzy, oblivious to the impending destruction of their stars.

Chen Xi stood in front of the command console, staring at the ever-increasing stellar energy readings and the charging progress bar of the lens array on the main screen.

The fate of the entire galaxy rests on this final gamble.

(End of this chapter)