Warhammer: Striving to Be a Grinding Man

Chapter 142 Orbital Barrier Break

The fleet assembled and began maneuvering towards Invernus. The Fireseed was positioned at the rear of the formation, heavily guarded by the Lucis field fleet. The Black Pearl led the formation, followed closely by the Truth, Dauntless, and Glory, with seven Cobra destroyers weaving rapidly through the gaps in the fleet. Four Odysseus-class destroyers lined up at the rear. The chapter fleet and the dwarven detachment guarded the left and right flanks respectively.

The dwarven detachment was the first to arrive at the rendezvous area. Dozens of short, stubby ships, trailing fiery red plumes, cut into position. Their armor plates were as thick as solid iron ingots forged directly from a furnace, and their turret calibers were nearly a third larger than the Imperial standard. They were not integrated into the combined fleet but formed a separate wedge-shaped formation on the flanks, maintaining a gap of one hull length from the chapter's battle line—a gap reserved for maneuver and for trust.

Invernus's outline transformed from a blurry dot to a clear disc on the sensor screen. Two wrecked spaceships hovered in near-Earth orbit, rotating slowly—the "Bonecrusher" was larger than the escorting one, its armor plates welded together from layers of Imperial warship wreckage, coils of force field generators protruding from its surface, and coarse black smoke billowing from its hull. The Orcish Techies had pieced together a force field barrier covering most of the wrecked ship's surface using dismantled Imperial Void Shield generators; arcs flickered irregularly at the weld points, the energy membrane varying in thickness—some areas could withstand battleship main guns, while others could even penetrate the lasers of a frigate.

Von Hoffmann's voice came through the fleet channel, each word like a nail driven into terracotta: "Combined Fleet, take positions. Chapter Fleet and Dwarven detachment, hold back the main orc force on the main battlefield. Air force, disrupt orc anti-aircraft fire and communication nodes. Black Pearl and Truth, carrying torpedoes, lock onto targets. Glory, carrying a third spare. Must be completed simultaneously."

The chapter fleet was the first to enter the engagement zone. The Blood Angels' "Blade of Vengeance" engaged the main orc fleet, the beams of their cannons slicing dozens of parallel bright lines. The Void Shield operated steadily amidst the orcs' retaliatory fire, its energy membrane deflecting stray shells layer by layer. The Salamanders' "Wrath of Volkan" flanked from the side, its light spear striking the force field barrier of an orc frigate. The green-blue energy membrane overloaded and burst under the sustained heat of the beams, its armor immediately pierced. The Ultramarines' capital ships followed closely, using precision artillery to pick off orc cruisers attempting to flank them one by one. The Void Shield showed no overload fluctuations during the sustained firefight. The orc fleet's attention was drawn to the main battlefield, their lines stretched towards the chapter fleet, and gaps appeared on their flanks.

The dwarven detachment was the first to wedge into the gap. Dozens of short, sturdy ships accelerated in a tight wedge formation, cutting into the flank of the orcish defenses. Void shields exploded with energy ripples at the points of impact of orcish shells, while the heavy armor withstood the stray attacks through gaps in the shields' overload. The orcish energy field barrier twisted, contracted, and shattered under the dwarven fire, shells blasting molten craters into the scrap metal armor, but not a single ship slowed down. However, the massive macro cannon on the flank of the "Bonecrusher" had its firing lines welded shut, and the techmaster in the cockpit allowed it to fire in a cyclical pattern at its own pace. The same turret completed its second cyclical firing. Three shells flew over the leading dwarven warships and struck precisely the bridge of a dwarven cruiser in the middle of the formation. The void shields were hit in succession: the first shell tore them apart, the second pierced through, and the third exploded inside the bridge. The dwarven cruiser's speed plummeted, its hull began to yaw, and the flames from its propellers changed from a steady, fiery red to irregular flashes. It broke away from the formation and then lost power, drifting into deep space. The dwarven formation did not slow down; the remaining ships surged past it on either side, continuing to wedge deeper into the gap.

The Lucis field fleet followed closely behind, the massive cannon array of the "Master Craftsman's Hammer" firing alternately, picking off the orc cruisers attempting to close the gap one by one. The Dominator-class capital cruisers spread out crossfire on both flanks, their Void Shields maintaining a uniform glow amidst the orcish barrage, their energy distribution systems distributing the shockwaves of each hit evenly across the entire ship. The Unyielding-class light cruisers cruised at high speed on the outer perimeter, using light spears to disperse the approaching orc assault boats.

An orc cruiser emerged from behind the wrecked ship. Its force field barrier covered most of its hull, black smoke billowing from the welds, and electric arcs flickering irregularly across the armor surface. This cobbled-together shield was even less reliable than the Imperial Void Shield; it might suddenly go out when fired, or unexpectedly strengthen upon being hit. Even the orcs themselves couldn't predict what would happen next.

"Starboard torpedoes coming!" The sensor officer's voice boomed across the channel.

The Black Pearl turned sharply. Two torpedoes exploded on the surface of the Void Shield, the shockwaves causing the ship to jolt violently. A third torpedo penetrated the blind spot of the shield's wave pattern, tearing a several-meter-long crack in the adamantite armor on the side. Damage control alarms rang out from the lower deck, but no one on the bridge turned around.

"Keep moving forward," Marcus said calmly.

Air force formations poured out of the Fireseed and the four Odysseus-class hangars. Thunderbolt fighters, in three-plane formations, stormed the wreckage at low altitude, their laser cannons melting an anti-aircraft turret from its base. Dwarven fighters followed closely behind, their thick armor withstanding the fire. One dived too low, its fuselage grazing the wreckage's protruding armor; the entire aircraft disintegrated upon impact, its fragments leaving a long, sparking trail on the wreckage's surface. Avenger attack aircraft cut in from higher altitudes, their Gatling guns tearing apart the largest anti-aircraft turret at the stern of the Bonebreaker, from its outer armor to its internal ammunition magazine. A reddish-orange explosion erupted at the stern of the wreckage, creating a fireball. A noticeable weak point appeared in the force field barrier on the wreckage's surface after the anti-aircraft turret was destroyed; the energy membrane fluctuated violently in that sector.

The entire strangulation operation lasted several minutes. As the aircraft pulled away, the density of anti-aircraft fire on the wrecked ship's surface decreased by nearly half, and the force field barrier showed significant fluctuations in several sectors. A passage had been opened.

In the few minutes it took for the air force to pull up and create a gap in the anti-aircraft fire of the wrecked ship, inside the atmosphere of Invernus, a landing craft painted in the dark gray of the Inquisition was passing through that window. The pilot ducked low, skimming along the outline of the collapsed industrial area, avoiding the last remaining Orc anti-aircraft fire. Inside, the demon Inquisitor Horst closed his eyes, sensing the disintegrating WAAAGH! force field debris above Invernus, then he opened his eyes and looked out the porthole. The anvil on the track was falling. The Inquisition's intervention wasn't in any publicly available operational plan, but it was happening simultaneously.

The Black Pearl and the Truth accelerated forward under the cover of the formation. Seven Cobras spread out on the flanks of the three ships, using torpedoes and laser cannons to disperse the Orc assault boats that tried to approach.

"Black Pearl in position. Target locked—Bonebreaker's tail engine cluster." Marcus's voice was as steady as iron.

"The Truth is in position. Target locked—midship docking point of the escorting wreck." Vera's voice followed closely behind, filled with suppressed fighting spirit.

"The Glory's spare torpedoes have completed final calibration." The captain of the Glory's voice was equally calm.

The orc fleet attempted to organize a counterattack, but the three tech masters and two captains roared simultaneously on the communication channel, making it impossible to form a unified command. A frigate, accelerating while its engine overloaded and spewed black smoke, crashed head-on into the force field generator of a nearby cruiser. The generator exploded on the spot, tearing off a piece of its bow armor plate.

"Continue forward. Black Pearl and Truth, accelerate to your launch positions." Von Hoffmann's voice rang out again, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.

The air force formations continued to tear apart the orc fleet's lines. Lightning bolts sliced ​​the orc interceptor planes into scattered pieces, while the dense formations of dwarven airmen blasted apart the remaining anti-aircraft turrets one by one. Amidst the barrage and explosions, the narrow passage was repeatedly torn open and closed. The Black Pearl and the Truth charged forward simultaneously.

"Pravda locked on. Torpedo tubes ready."

"emission."

The first bipolar cyclone torpedo detached from the Black Pearl's belly compartment, trailing a fiery tail as it hurtled toward the stern of the Bonebreaker.

In that instant, the entire battlefield could see it.

The torpedo struck the wrecked ship's stern armor. The green force field barrier shattered, the arc of electricity still lingering, the molten warhead having already melted a hole in the armor. The torpedo pierced through, like a red-hot iron rod piercing frozen grease.

And then—it arrived.

The torpedo penetrated deep into the wreck's stern. The second-stage warhead detonated at the heart of the engine array. Light pierced through the seams of the armor plates, burning the stern's outline into a translucent shell. The armor plates bulged inward, the welds cracking. The three main engines vanished from the hull, leaving only charred bases and broken pipes, the nozzle remnants tumbling slowly in the vacuum. The wreck's speed plummeted, and the ship began to veer uncontrollably.

The sensor officer's voice rang out first: "Hit! Bonecrusher's tail—hit!"

The second torpedo was launched from the Aletheia and struck the midsection of the escorting wreck. The same process repeated itself in the midsection—the first-stage molten metal warhead penetrated the armor, while the second-stage cyclone warhead detonated at the core of the structural joint. Incandescent light burst from the cracks in the midsection's armor, illuminating its outline from within, as the armor plates began to tear and peel away. The escorting wreck slowly separated from the midsection, molten metal wires and broken pipes trailing behind the fractured edges.

The sensor officer confirmed: "Escorted wreck—hit. In disintegration. Less than 10% intact. The Bonebreaker is damaged at the stern, multiple engines have failed, and it is drifting."

The light from the orbit simultaneously illuminated the Invernus skyline. In the ruins of the northern front, Ulf looked up, watching the newborn sun burst forth with a halo, its rays filtering through the atmosphere and spreading into an arc across the horizon. He stared at the fading light, offering no cheers. No one on the defensive line cheered. But those who had been crouching in the trenches for too long felt their shoulders relax slightly.

But the Bonebreaker wasn't completely crippled. The remaining engines were still running—in the cockpit, two tech enthusiasts were locked in a fierce battle over which way to turn, the winner pulling the control stick, causing the wrecked ship to twitch in that direction. The force field barrier, damaged at the stern, pulsed even more violently, arcs of electricity crawling across the wreck's surface. Several orc escort ships converged from different directions—not in an organized manner, but some trying to charge in desperately, some trying to escape, and some simply crashing in without seeing their way. A dense swarm surrounded the wreck, macro cannons firing indiscriminately at close range. One frigate, its force field pierced by friendly fire from a friendly fire ally, exploded mid-ship.

"The Bonebreaker is still moving," Marcus's voice said.

Von Hoffmann's voice cut in, decisive as a knife: "Glory, follow up with fire. Lock onto the midsection connection point of the Bonecrusher."

The captain of the Glory's voice came through the communication channel, calm and clear: "Glory received. Moving forward—locking on."

The Glory accelerated forward from the formation. Its hull followed the standard silhouette of a Luna-class cruiser, and it was now advancing towards the Bonebreaker, trailing a steady blue plume of flame. The remaining Orc interceptors attempted to approach from the flanks, seven cobras spreading out on either side, using laser cannons to pick them off one by one.

"Glory in position. Midsection of the wrecked ship—structural connection point locked." The captain's voice came again, more steady than before.

"emission."

The third torpedo was launched from the belly compartment of the Glory.

This time, the wrecked ship no longer had a properly formed force field barrier. The few remaining force field generators were operating independently; some were still running, some were short-circuited, and some were transferring their energy to some meaningless armored protrusion on the wrecked ship's surface. The torpedo passed through the energy blind spot with almost no disturbance.

The molten metal warhead pierced through the remaining armor in the midsection, while the whirlwind warhead detonated deep within the structural core. The energy of the explosion was trapped inside the wrecked ship, continuously accumulating, expanding, and compressing. Light burst forth from within, and the armor plates in the midsection of the wrecked ship ripped apart from the inside out.

The Bonebreaker broke in half. The front and rear halves slowly separated in the vacuum, molten metal wires and broken pipes trailing behind the fractured edges, gleaming a dark reddish afterglow in the starlight. The sensor officer lowered his hand from his eyes, watching the two slowly separating fragments on the screen, his lips moving twice before he uttered: "Bonebreaker—mid-section broken. Disintegrating."

Von Hoffmann's voice boomed from the war zone channel, each word like pent-up artillery fire finally finding its outlet: "Two space wrecks confirmed destroyed. The entire fleet is to launch a full-scale attack. All ships are to engage independently, prioritizing the sinking of large ships."

Without its command center, the orc fleet reverted to its primitive state of fighting independently. One cruiser recklessly charged towards the nearest Imperial defenses; its force field barrier flickered twice under the crossfire of the chapter's armies before being completely extinguished and then breached. Another attempted to escape into deep space, but its stern engine overloaded and exploded during acceleration, its force field generator being blown off in the blast, leaving the entire ship powerless and adrift. The remaining ships began to scatter in different directions—some fled, some charged, and some spun in place. The green-blue aura of the orc force field barriers extinguished one by one under the pursuit of the Imperial fleet. But the Imperial fleet would not give them any chance to regroup.

The combined fleet of the three warbands accelerated their advance from the main battlefield, and the ships of the three warbands began their respective hunts on the scattered orc lines.

The Blood Angels' strike cruiser was the first to cut into the course of an Orc cruiser attempting to escape. The Orc ship was turning into deep space at full speed, its bow force field barrier flashing violently in the aftershocks of engine overload. The Vengeance Blade's bow torpedo tubes locked on during the pursuit, and two torpedoes were launched from its flanks, precisely penetrating the Orc cruiser's force field blind spot. The first pierced the stern engine, the second penetrated the midsection of the hull. The Orc cruiser's hull exploded mid-section, spewing molten metal fragments and green blood mist from the fracture. The forward half continued sliding forward due to inertia, while the aft half began to tumble. During the pursuit, the Orcs' remaining artillery fire struck the Vengeance Blade's void shield; the force field flashed only briefly before the shockwave was dispersed and dissipated.

On the other side, the Salamander's "Wrath of Volkan" did not pursue. It advanced steadily in the center of the orcish line, its macro cannons firing in a fixed rhythm. Each shell landed precisely on the orc ship's weakest point—the connection between the force field generator and the hull. The force field barrier of an orc frigate fluctuated violently after the first hit, extinguished completely on the second, and pierced through the hull on the third. The Salamander's ships moved like a slowly advancing steel furnace, each step steady, precise, and unstoppable. They were in no hurry; each shot would take a ship.

Further along the front line, the Ultramarines' capital ships launched a textbook coordinated hunt. Three cruisers maintained precise spacing, alternating between torpedo salvos and energy lances, simultaneously locking down an Orc cruiser attempting to turn from three directions. The first volley of torpedoes neutralized its maneuverability, the second volley of energy lances pierced its force field barrier, and the third volley of macrocannons tore its hull in two. Ruthless, precise, each volley taking a ship.

The dwarven detachment cut into the battlefield from the other side. Their ships offered no pursuit, no maneuvering, but instead formed a slowly advancing wall of steel along the orcish's scattered lines. Void shields formed a curtain of light in front of the formation, and large-caliber cannons, under the shields' cover, fired in a steady, alternating rhythm, picking off each orc ship attempting to break away from the flank—

The orcs' force field barriers were torn apart and pierced like paper by the dwarves' heavy artillery. The dwarves' tactics weren't about speed, but about sheer weight—using unshakeable protection and firepower to block off the orcs' escape routes one by one. The damaged dwarven cruiser was no longer in the formation. It drifted towards the rear of the fleet, leaving a fading trail of flame, its attitude propulsion still working, trying to stabilize its deflection. The service boats from the Fireseed's repair bay were approaching it, but before they could, it had lost the ability to continue fighting.

The Lucis field fleet and the Garros fleet suffered their final losses in the pursuit. An Indomitable-class light cruiser, while chasing an Orc cruiser, was struck by the latter's remaining stern turret. The first shell pierced the Void Shield generator at the stern, the second penetrated midsection and detonated inside the engine room. The ship broke in half, the forward section sliding several kilometers forward in inertia before beginning to tumble. Lifeboats ejected from the fracture, leaving long streaks of light in the starlight.

The communication channel disappeared from the fleet list the moment it was broken.

The Black Pearl's light lances continued firing, piercing through the fleeing Orc cruisers; the Truth, Dreadnought, and Glory fired in alternating bursts, creating crossfire with the torpedo barrage from the seven Cobra destroyers. The surviving Orc ships' counterattack exploded against the Imperial fleet's Void Shield formation, energy barriers flickering intermittently amidst the gunfire, but none collapsed from overload. The Imperial fleet's pursuit tore gaping holes in the Orcish lines, every fleeing ship precisely locked onto, pursued, and destroyed, the aura of the Orcish energy field barriers extinguishing one by one.

Invernus's near-Earth orbit was completely opened after the loss of the Orcish wreckage and its main fleet.

Meanwhile, in the blasted industrial zone on the outer edge of Middle Nest, the stern hatch of the Inquisition landing craft had sprung open. As Demon Inquisitor Horst stepped out, his boot struck a still-steaming fragment of metal. He glanced up at the fading light in the sky—the broken wreckage of the Bonecrusher trailing a crimson glow across the horizon—then looked away and moved deeper into Middle Nest along an abandoned transport tunnel. The finely crafted power sword at his waist gleamed coldly in the shadows of the tunnel, and the safety on his explosive pistol was already released. Six assistants followed closely behind, their footsteps echoing between the alloy walls. The battle on the tracks was ending; his mission was just beginning.

Von Hoffmann's voice rang out again, cold and hard as iron: "Fleet, switch to orbital fire suppression. Priority targets: Northern Greenskin reinforcement corridor, armored assembly area, and Gujuji maintenance position. The fire coverage area is defined as twelve coordinate grids north of the North Latitude line."

Admiral Parol's voice came through the fleet channel, hoarse but resolute: "Orbital fire suppression has been initiated. The twelve coordinate grids are being covered one by one."

The fleet deployed a suppressive formation in near-Earth orbit. Macrocannons and light spears began unleashing a barrage of fire on the Greenskin assembly areas on the outskirts of Infurnus. The Orcish reinforcement routes on the northern front were severed by continuous artillery fire, preventing further troop transport to the front lines. Armored assembly areas were picked off one by one, hundreds of battle fortresses exploding into twisted scrap metal in the flames. Ancient colossus maintenance positions were precisely targeted, their massive steel wreckage twisting and collapsing in the explosions. Air force formations cut in at low altitudes between orbital artillery barrages, while dwarven air force formations obliterated communication nodes from the ground with high-explosive bombs. The Orcish anti-aircraft fire on the northern front gradually crumbled under the combined onslaught of orbital artillery and air force fire; the remaining Greenskin interceptors ceased their attempts to intercept and began fleeing the battlefield.

On the northern front, Ulf had already picked up his explosive musket again. The light in the orbital beams was fading, and the orbital fire of the new Light One Empire fleet was tearing through the orcs' rear assembly area. He shouldered an ammunition box and walked towards the front line, shouting to the soldiers around him, "Get up. It's our turn."

Invernus launched his counterattack. The binary hymn rose from the Imperial Titan's anchorage, deep and solemn, like an echo of the Great Crusade ten thousand years ago, piercing through the smoke and dust, proclaiming the impending judgment.

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