Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 743 The Battle of Baal - Part 10

Sergeant Herman and his squad were temporarily reinforced on the southern front. They took over a section of the position that had just been ravaged by the Zerg swarm, the trenches piled high with the corpses of fallen soldiers and Zerg.

"Establish firing positions! Quick! They're coming up again!" Hermann shouted hoarsely amidst the explosions.

Cassius and the surviving recruits set up their weapons behind the ruined fortifications, practically stepping through sticky blood and bits of flesh.

The swarm's attacks came wave after wave, giving the defenders almost no chance to catch their breath.

They could feel the ground beneath their feet trembling under the trampling of countless insect legs, and smell the nauseating, sour, and rotten odor so strong it was almost solidified.

On one occasion, a destructive beast rammed into one of their flank bunkers, creating a gap in their firepower.

Instantly, dozens of knife insects swarmed in.

Herman roared and charged forward, smashing the first insect into a bloody pulp with his power gauntlets, but more insects swarmed towards Cassius and the others from the side.

The close-quarters combat erupted instantly.

Cassius smashed the skull of one of the Blade Bugs with his bomb gun, then drew his power sword and parried the bone blade of another.

He felt adrenaline surging through his veins, and his fear was temporarily suppressed by his survival instinct and the fervor of fighting.

A new recruit was pounced on by several knife-like insects next to him, and his screams came to an abrupt halt.

Ultimately, the crisis was resolved at the cost of another team member's death.

However, Herman had a deep claw mark on his shoulder armor, and Cassius's power armor legs were corroded by acid, making his movements slightly sluggish.

Similar dangerous situations occurred in many places along the entire southern defense line.

The command center's communication channels were filled with urgent requests for assistance from the region's commanders and reports of the deteriorating battle situation.

Chen Xi had to squeeze out the last reserve force from other less stressed areas—a mixed squad of combat nuns and a small number of Holy Blood Angels—and send it to the south to barely stabilize the crumbling defense line.
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"The decoy is working." Chen Xi reported to Lion King and Dante in the command center. The sensors in front of him showed that more and more swarm biosignals were converging on the area around Angel Keep from other regions of Baal's orbit and other directions on the planet's surface. "The Hive Will clearly believes that the time for a general offensive has come and is mobilizing its main force."

Dante stared at the red signals on the tactical map that swirled around Fort Angels, remaining silent for a moment.

He could see the precarious state of the southern defenses and imagine the sacrifices being made by Saint Gilles' sons and mortal soldiers.

"The price...is very high," Dante said in a low voice.

"This is the necessary price, Grand Master Dante." The voice of Leon the Lion King came through the communication, carrying a cold rationality, "'The anvil' must be hard enough, and it must also be... tempting enough."

We are luring the beast into a trap, but before that, we must make sure we are not torn apart by it first.

The extremely risky operation to lure the enemy continues.

The outer defense line nearly collapsed under immense pressure, but miraculously maintained its integrity thanks to the defenders' tenacious will and precise adjustments.

Every step backward, every "flaw," was soaked in the blood of the loyal.

All of this is for that fleeting moment when you can swing the "hammer".
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The signal has arrived.

Not through fragile communication links, but through the highly sensitive sensor arrays of the "Unyielding Truth" and the "Stone" fortress, the dramatic change in energy readings from the surface of Baal—after enduring extreme pressure for several hours, the outer defense system of Angelsburg finally collapsed simultaneously at multiple key nodes, like a bowstring stretched to its limit.

The signals representing the energy shield and main defensive fortifications went out in large numbers, like candles flickering in the wind. In their place, dirty green spots of light, representing the biological signals of the swarm, spread rapidly like a plague into the fortress.

The "Anvil" had withstood the ultimate blow, and as expected, the main force of the Zerg swarm frantically rushed towards this seemingly easy prey. The biological fleet in its orbit was also highly focused on this final hunt on the ground, and its formation was shrinking and coalescing towards Baal's main planet invisibly.

"All units, Operation 'Iron Hammer', commence!"

Lion King Leon's command, like a sword drawn from its sheath, shattered the last silence on the bridge of the "Indomitable Truth".

Hidden in the shadows of the planet Baal, the Imperial fleet, like a primordial beast awakening, suddenly unleashed a blinding burst of overloaded light from its engine nozzles, propelling its massive hulls out of concealment and into attack trajectory.

Leading the charge was the "Metallic" fortress, which resembled a small planet. Thousands of artillery arrays and light spear launchers on its surface simultaneously began charging, emitting chilling energy fluctuations.

The "Unyielding Truth" and other Dark Angels capital ships that followed also adjusted their positions, aiming their strongest firepower at the distant airspace that appeared unusually "crowded" due to the excessive density of the swarm of Zerg ships.

There was no probing, no holding back.

This was a high-stakes attack, aiming to unleash the most devastating destruction in the shortest possible time.

"Target locked! The main force of the Zerg is gathering in this area. All light spears, fire at once!"

In an instant, the void was torn apart.

Countless beams of high-energy particles—blazing white, golden, and even ghostly blue—like spears of divine punishment, shot out from the cannons of the "Stone" fortress and the Imperial fleet, traversing vast distances to precisely pierce the enormous, writhing shadow composed of countless biological ships.

Wherever the light spear passed, the thick chitinous armor that the swarm of biological ships was so proud of melted and vaporized like ice and snow under the sun.

The target hit instantly turned into an expanding fireball, and the biomass inside exploded violently under the extreme temperature. The resulting shock wave overturned and tore apart the surrounding ships.

A series of massive, silent explosions erupted within the swarm of insects, like splashes of scorching white and orange paint onto a dark green canvas.

Before the afterglow of the volley of light spears had faded, the roar of the cannons followed immediately.

Thousands upon thousands of heavy macro cannon shells, loaded with high explosives or armor-piercing projectiles, followed calculated trajectories, like a deadly metal storm, covering the area swept by the light spears and the surrounding swarm of Zerg ships.

These projectiles may not be able to vaporize targets instantly like light spears, but their terrifying kinetic energy and explosive power are enough to tear smaller bio-ships to shreds or blast the surface structure of larger ships into countless holes, with green pus and broken tissues raining down in the vacuum.

The first, unexpected attack dealt an unprecedented blow to the main force of the assembled Zerg swarm.

On the sensor screen, large areas of blank space and chaos appeared instantly in the dense signals representing swarm units, and the energy readings and biosignal intensity dropped sharply.

At least three-digit numbers of Zerg bio-ships were wiped out in this sudden orbital bombardment, while many more were severely damaged and rendered combat ineffective.

"Assault formation, maintain course! Prepare for second salvo! Ravenwing units, advance to clear out remaining resistance and protect the flanks of the capital ships!" The voice of High Master Azrael rang out in the fleet's communications channel, calmly directing the subsequent operations. The Imperial fleet, like a clenched steel fist, resolutely advanced along the pre-planned assault route towards the heavily damaged core area of ​​the Zerg swarm.

Small groups of insect ships that attempted to intercept along the way were destroyed one after another by the secondary guns of the "Stone" fortress and the capital ships, as well as by the Ravenwing fast attack ships.

The light from the light spears and macro cannons briefly illuminated the darkness in this starfield shrouded in the shadow of the Zerg swarm, bringing the most powerful counterattack from the Empire since the start of the war.

This was not just a physical blow, but also a huge boost to the morale of the ground defenders who were struggling to hold on—they knew that the "hammer" had been swung down and their sacrifices had not been in vain.

However, the hive's will reacted just as quickly.

The remaining Zerg ships began to recover from the initial chaos. They no longer focused on ground attacks, but instead, like an enraged swarm of bees, surrounded the attacking Imperial fleet from all sides.

More specialized units, hidden behind the main force, began to emerge, including those massive, heavy bio-ships specifically designed to counter capital ships.

Operation "Iron Hammer" successfully smashed into the swarm's body, causing a massive wound.

But the beast did not die; instead, it was thoroughly enraged. The real test has only just begun.

Whether the Imperial fleet can deliver a sufficiently fatal blow to the Zerg before they can react and complete their encirclement, and successfully escape, will determine the success or failure of the entire plan, and even the final outcome of the Battle of Baal.
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The hammer blows did indeed severely damage the swarm, but they also punctured a huge hornet's nest.

The cold, efficient collective consciousness of the Hive Regiment reacted almost instantly upon being attacked.

It immediately determined that the threat priority in orbit had temporarily surpassed that of the remaining enemies on the ground. The massive swarm of Zerg ships, which had originally gathered in Baal orbit and focused on supporting the ground offensive, began to turn and reorganize frantically, as if stirred by an invisible hand, and surged toward the Imperial fleet that dared to launch an attack.

The intensity of the orbital warfare escalated to a fever pitch in an instant.

"A large number of biosignals have been detected emerging from the planet's shadow region! They are trying to surround us!" The sensor officer's voice rang out urgently on the bridge of the "Indomitable Truth".

The previously relatively clear assault route in front and on the flanks was instantly filled with countless twisted and writhing biological ship shadows.

They no longer maintained their orderly formation, but instead launched an attack from all angles in a near-mad, suicidal manner, disregarding their own casualties.

Small raiding ships crashed into the void shields of Imperial ships like moths to a flame, triggering a series of explosions; medium-sized bio-ships used their beam weapons and bio-torpedoes for mid-range harassment.

Meanwhile, the massive, heavy units designed specifically to counter capital ships act like mobile fortresses, using their thick armor to withstand artillery fire as they slowly and steadily approach, attempting to end their targets with their powerful biological cannons and ramming attacks.

"Maintain formation! All ships, fire freely! Prioritize eliminating small targets that are approaching!" Azrael's orders attempted to maintain order amidst the chaos of the battlefield.

The light from the spears and macro cannons continued to flash, and each volley still wiped out large numbers of enemies.

Ravenwing's fast ships fought desperately around the capital ships, using speed and agility to compensate for their lack of firepower, and trying their best to intercept those who tried to break through the fire net.

However, the sheer number of insects proved to be a significant advantage at this moment.

For every enemy ship destroyed by the Imperial fleet, two, three, or even more would rise from the rear to replace it.

The Void Shield's energy readings plummeted under the relentless onslaught, and piercing overload alarms echoed across the ships.

"The port side void shield is about to collapse!"

"Cruiser 'Steadfast' reports: Engine room hit by biological torpedo, loss of power!"

"Ravenwing Third Squadron... Signal lost!"

Bad news kept coming. The Imperial fleet was like a giant beast stuck in the mud. Although it was still fierce, every step forward became extremely difficult. It was bitten and entangled by countless "leeches" all over its body, and its movements became increasingly sluggish.
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Lion King Leon stared at the main tactical screen, which displayed the real-time status of the "Iron Hammer" forces and a comparison of the planned combat area.

The blue arrow representing the Imperial fleet was still advancing, but its speed had slowed considerably, and it had not penetrated far into the Zerg swarm's array to reach its intended target—the core area considered to be the most densely populated area of ​​the Zerg command nodes and biological motherships.

"We are unable to reach the designated strike position as planned." Chen Xi's voice came through the communication, carrying a calm analysis. "The swarm's resistance and reaction speed exceeded the worst-case scenario."

The 'Iron Hammer' unit is suffering rapidly increasing casualties; continuing the assault risks being completely surrounded and annihilated.

The Lion King's brow was furrowed.

He could see that the massive body of the "Stone" fortress was being subjected to concentrated fire from all directions, and its powerful void shield was also showing unstable fluctuations.

The condition of the "Indomitable Truth" and other capital ships is equally worrying.

They did inflict heavy damage on the swarm and disrupt its deployment, but failed to achieve their most critical objective—destroying its core command nodes or a sufficient number of bio-motherships to fundamentally undermine its organization and sustained combat capability.

Operation Hammer failed to fully achieve its intended operational objectives. It was a successful and heroic counterattack, but not a decisive victory.

The swarm's main force remains intact. Although its orbital power has been damaged, its foundation is unshaken, and it is launching a counterattack with even greater ferocity.

"Order the fleet to adjust its course and move closer to 'The Rock' fortress, prepare for alternating cover, and disengage." The Lion King's voice was deep, carrying a hint of barely perceptible heaviness.

This was a difficult decision, meaning to admit the assault had failed and that "Iron Hammer" had not completely smashed the target.
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Just as the Imperial fleet was locked in a fierce battle and preparing for a difficult escape, an encrypted communication of unknown origin, using an ancient data protocol, broke into the command link of the "Unyielding Truth." The communication was quickly decoded, revealing a concise yet astonishing message.

"This is Traveler Anraqir, representing the Mephistopheles Dynasty. A brief period of disarray and weakness has been observed in the Biodevourer orbital array. The Dynasty's fleet will launch a limited assault in the coordinate area to fulfill the previous agreement. We suggest you take this opportunity to regroup or withdraw."

The information is followed by a set of precise coordinates and a short time window.

Chen Xi immediately showed the information to Lion King. "It's the Space Necromancers. They chose this moment to strike."

Lion King Leon's sharp gaze swept across the coordinates and time window, and he made a decision in an instant: "Notify Azrael to adjust the escape route and take advantage of the window created by the necromancer! This may be 'Iron Hammer's' only chance to retreat relatively intact."

Despite the uncertainties and risks of collaborating with the Necromancers, this unexpected "assistance" has undoubtedly become a lifeline for the besieged Imperial fleet.

The outcome of the orbital war was already predetermined. "Iron Hammer" failed to deliver a perfect blow, but its swing, along with the unexpected intervention from the ancient aliens, at least secured a less-than-ideal result for Baal and Angelburg.

However, everyone understands that the "anvil" on the ground is now under even greater pressure due to the fact that the plan has not been fully successful.

The real test still lies within that precarious fortress.

(End of this chapter)