Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 735 The Battle of Baal, Part Two

The massive shadow of the "Rock" fortress slowly enveloped a designated area of ​​airspace in the inner orbit of the Bar system.

This mobile fortress of the Dark Angels Legion, with its surface covered by countless turrets, sensor arrays, and ship take-off and landing platforms, began to operate like a honeycomb.

The accompanying Dark Angels main fleet—including multiple combat barges, strike cruisers, and swarms of escort ships—began to deploy according to the pre-planned defensive formation, forming a crossfire network with the Blood Angels' existing orbital defense platforms and fleet to fill the critical airspace gap.

At the command center of the Indomitable Truth, a joint meeting on command authority and coordination procedures is underway.

Attendees included Lion King Leon, Leona, Chen Xi, Dante, and the Dark Angels High Master Azrael, Deathwing High Master Belial, and Ravenwing High Master Samuel, who were accessed via holographic projection.

Azrael began by outlining the Dark Angels' integration plan: "'The Rock' fortress will serve as the core anchor and final command node for the galactic defense. Its powerful void shields and firepower will be used to support the main defensive directions."

The Dark Angels fleet will be divided into three main battle groups: the first battle group, led by the 'Unyielding Truth', will be responsible for frontal engagement; the second battle group, based on the 'Monument', will provide area defense and fire support; and the third battle group, mainly composed of Ravenwing ships, will perform mobile patrols, reconnaissance, and flanking attacks.

Dante then added details about the Blood Angels' deployment: "Our fleet will be responsible for near-Earth orbit defense, with a focus on protecting Baal and key satellite facilities. The fire control systems of all orbital defense platforms have been initially linked to your command chain, and data sharing protocols have been established."

Ground defense will remain the sole responsibility of the Blood Angels and their sub-squadrons, but they request priority and precise support from orbital fire when the main Zerg force arrives.

“Communication is key,” Chen Xi interjected, pulling up a draft communication protocol. “To ensure uninterrupted command under the interference of the Zerg swarm’s psionic energy, we need to establish multiple redundant communication links.”

The main command channel is encrypted at the highest level, the backup channel uses Mechanicus binary hymn encoding, and ground emergency communication relies on hardwire connections and messenger boats.

All joint operational orders must be confirmed by the command nodes of both sides before execution to avoid miscalculation and confusion.

Lion King Leon listened to the accounts from all sides and finally made the decision: "The division of command authority is as follows: I will decide the overall strategy. For the Void Wars, Azrael will have supreme tactical command authority, with Dante, the Grand Master, and his fleet commander assisting him."

In ground operations, Commander Dante was in full charge, the Dark Angels ground forces were under his unified command, and Belial reported directly to me.

Intelligence and resource coordination was led by Judge Chen Xi.

As my second-in-command, Leona has the authority to intervene in operations at any level and to carry out special missions.

This order clearly defines responsibilities, ensuring unified command while respecting the authority and expertise of all parties.

After the meeting, Leon the Lion, accompanied by Dante, traveled by Thunderhawk gunboat to conduct an on-site inspection of several key defensive nodes on the surface of Baal.

They first arrived at a massive canyon defense line that surrounded the outermost perimeter of Fort Angel.

This area features a dense network of fortresses and obstacles, built using the natural terrain.

The Blood Angels warriors were conducting final checks and maintenance on the battlefield, their crimson power armor standing out starkly against the dark red sand.

The Lion King observed the layout of the firing positions and their firing range, and inspected the underground bunkers and supply depots.

"The fortifications are strong, and the soldiers are in high spirits," the Lion King said to Dante. "The Blood Angels are indeed well prepared."

However, his gaze turned to the back of the canyon, to the vast, relatively flat desert that led directly to the core area of ​​Fort Angel. "But, Dante, there is a lack of sufficient depth and effective tiered blocking points between this defensive line and Fort Angel."

If the swarm of insects manages to break through this point in overwhelming numbers, they will be able to advance unimpeded and directly assault the outer walls of the fortress.

We need to pre-position more minefields, mobile counter-attack positions, and artillery fire zones in the rear. Even if we have to abandon some of the outer perimeter, we must ensure the resilient defense of the core area.

Dante paused for a moment, his gaze behind the mask following the direction the Lion King was pointing. He nodded: "The problem you pointed out does exist. We originally hoped to wear down the enemy as much as possible on the outside, but we overlooked contingency plans for what would happen if we were breached."

I will immediately order the accelerated construction of the second and third mobile defensive lines between the canyon and Angel Keep.

They then inspected a massive armory and supply depot located inside a mountain range.

Seeing the mountains of explosives, energy batteries, spare armor plates, and well-maintained armored vehicles, Lion King once again expressed his approval.

However, he also pointed out that some logistics nodes are located too far forward, making them vulnerable to being covered by the swarm's firepower in the early stages of the war, and suggested moving them to more concealed and better-defended rear areas.

Meanwhile, Chen Xi began exercising the authority of a judge at the temporary command post located in Angel Castle.

He first summoned the representative of the Mechanic Order stationed in the Bar system, a Mechanic Sage named Tar-07.

“Sage,” Chen Xi said bluntly, displaying the insignia of the Inquisition, “in accordance with the Emergency Authorization Act of the Inquisition, I hereby conscript all mechanical monastic facilities, resources, and friars within the Bar system into a unified defense system.”

I need all your forging plants to operate at full capacity, prioritizing the production of ammunition, repair parts, and energy cores.

All available friars must be deployed by the joint command to fill gaps in the defensive lines.

Tar-07's prosthetic eye flashed red, emitting a response mixed with binary code and low gothic: "...Authorization confirmed. The will of Omnisiah is in harmony with the Emperor."

Resources and military force will serve the purpose of the fight for survival. A detailed list and deployment recommendations will be submitted within one standard hour.

Next, Chen Xi contacted the remaining commanders of the Baal Planetary Defense Force (PDF), as well as several fragmented Astral Army units that had retreated from the surrounding star systems to this location.

These ordinary troops were demoralized and poorly equipped.

“I am Judge Chen Xi,” his voice came through the communicator, carrying the unquestionable authority of the court, “Your withdrawal phase is over. From now on, you are reorganized and placed under the command of the Bal Joint Defense Forces.”

You will be responsible for the defense of secondary lines, the construction of fortifications, logistical transportation, and the care of the wounded.

Those who demonstrate courage and discipline will gain the Emperor's approval; those who are cowardly or derelict in their duties will face the judgment of the court.

He appointed several relatively reliable officers to be in charge of the specific reorganization work and assigned a limited number of political commissars to maintain military discipline.

With the infusion of Dark Angel power, the strategic guidance of the Lion King, and the resource integration of Chen Xi, the entire Bar Star System has become more comprehensive and systematic in its defense system.

New orders were issued, fortifications were reinforced or new ones were built, and troops were moved to new locations.

The war machine is undergoing its final adjustments with unprecedented efficiency and determination, awaiting the inevitable impact.

The tension in the air was gradually replaced by an orderly and resolute pre-battle atmosphere.
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The order, transmitted through all available channels, was concise and chilling: the Barr system was to immediately enter a state of maximum alert. This directive, like a boulder thrown into still water, created ripples throughout the galaxy, quickly translating into concrete and complex actions.

On Baal, civilians scattered throughout human settlements and mining outposts were mobilized.

Local defense forces and planetary officials organized evacuation teams, guiding people away from their ancestral homes along pre-established safe routes toward underground bunkers and fortified domes in Angel Keep and several surrounding core defense areas.

The transport vehicles lined up in a long queue, kicking up clouds of red dust. The air was filled with the roar of engines, the cries of children, and the urgent instructions from officials through loudspeakers.

Fear and bewilderment were written on people's faces. They could only carry the most essential items, abandoning most of their belongings, and placing their hopes for survival entirely on the imperial army and that magnificent fortress.

At the same time, all military units, whether Astartes, remnants of the Astral Army, the Mechanicus, or planetary defense forces, began to advance towards their pre-assigned positions.

The crimson Blood Angels tactical squads silently boarded transport ships and headed to the outer canyon defenses and orbital platforms; the Saturn Terminators strode heavily into the key defensive nodes of Angel Keep; the Dark Angels companies, under the command of their officers, took up positions at the "Rock" fortress and various fleet combat posts; and the Astronauts filled the secondary defenses, operating heavy artillery and anti-aircraft arrays.

The entire galaxy's transportation network is filled with signs of military mobilization, and a somber atmosphere has replaced the usual order.

Just as preparations at the physical level were in full swing, another invisible pressure began to spread quietly.

Deep within the psionic spire of Fort Angels, in the navigation room of the Unyielding Truth, and in the perceptions of all those sensitive to the warp, a change is taking place.

Mephisto, the chief think tank member, stood in the observation room of the spire. Behind the crimson eyepiece, what his psionic vision "saw" was not the real starry sky, but a sea of ​​psionic energy that was being polluted.

A heavy, viscous "presence," filled with an endless hunger, is spreading from the depths of the void, like a slowly rising tide, trying to engulf everything.

It is not a specific attack, but a kind of oppressive background noise that tries to erode willpower and induce the deepest fear and despair in one's heart.

“The shadow is approaching,” Mephisto warned Dante and the Lion King through the psionic link. “Its psionic characteristics…are vast and unified, far exceeding anything encountered in the Underworld. It is trying to infiltrate our senses.”

Similar reports came from various psionic nodes.

The navigators complained that the Star Path had become blurred, as if shrouded in a murky veil; the psionic members of the Battle Sisters felt interference during their prayers, and even the Emperor's icon seemed to be shrouded in shadow; even some sensitive non-psionic soldiers began reporting inexplicable anxiety and nightmares.

This pressure from the subspace level, intertwined with real-world military mobilization, makes the atmosphere of preparedness for war even more suffocating.

Chen Xi was closely monitoring these reports, and he understood the impact of this invisible pressure on morale.

He ordered intensified ideological work, instructing the accompanying chaplains and political commissars to strengthen the propagation of the Emperor's faith. At the same time, he demanded that Mephisto and other psionicists build psionic barriers as much as possible to resist this erosion and at least ensure the psionic purity of key communication and command nodes.

Time flew by in a state of high tension.

The final reconnaissance units were sent to the edge of the star system; they were the eyes and ears of the Empire, tasked with the vital mission of obtaining firsthand intelligence.

These flotillas, consisting of destroyers, reconnaissance ships, and even small detection boats equipped with concealment devices, resolutely entered that known dangerous airspace, and the data streams they transmitted became the key basis for the command to judge the enemy situation.

The initial report was relatively clear: large-scale biological signals were detected, energy readings were abnormally high, and subspace perturbations continued to intensify.

But soon, the signal began to become unstable and was subject to strong interference.

Finally, about twenty standard hours after entering the highest state of combat readiness, a signal from the outermost reconnaissance unit, after being urgently compressed and enhanced, broke through the strong interference and was captured by the rear receiving station.

The signal was extremely weak and filled with distorted noise.

The technical priests immediately decoded and restored the image.

On the main screen, a blurry, jerky video begins to play.

The image is mostly dominated by dark green static snowflakes, with only occasional fleeting outlines visible.

That was not a fleet formation in the traditional sense.

There was no clear bow and stern, and no orderly formation.

The image shows a huge, writhing shadow that almost fills the entire field of view of the sensor.

Countless twisted, indescribable biological structures were tightly squeezed together, forming a... "wall".

A massive wall, seemingly breathing and pulsating, composed of living ships, chitinous shells, and unknown organic matter.

It moved forward slowly and steadily, and in its path, even the starlight seemed to be swallowed up.

"...Contact confirmed...Scale...Incalculable...Repeating, not a linear array, but a solid wall...Extremely high density...They...are right there..."

The communications officer's report abruptly stopped after receiving the video, as the signal disappeared completely after emitting a sharp whistling sound.

Following closely behind, the signals of several other peripheral reconnaissance units were also cut off, as if they had been silently swallowed up by that huge "wall".

The command center was deathly silent.

Only the hum of the instruments and the chillingly blurry image frozen on the screen could be heard.

Chen Xi turned off the video playback.

He looked at the Lion King and Dante; no further words were needed, the information was clear enough.

The final warning has been confirmed.

That immeasurable "living wall," composed of the main force of the Tyranid swarm, has reached the threshold of the Barr system.

A storm is coming.

(End of this chapter)