Although Talos's idea was tempting in a sense, Soshyan couldn't accept it.
"No, doing this will break the bottom line of many soldiers, not to mention that we are still fighting against Chaos... and there are many local garrisons and omen militia on the front line. If they know that their families are being killed by the empire in the rear, Massacre may lead to rebellion and defection, and then our defense line will be in danger.”
"Then it seems you have made your decision."
Soshyan sighed.
"Talos, take a few people from the 11th Company to the Red Sand Mountains to investigate. If there are Chaos forces active, suppress them on the spot and promote the empire's policy of never purging them."
"Okay, I'll arrange for Bahram and Sablin to go there."
"Speaking of Bahram, I haven't communicated with him about the gray marrow yet. He must be confused recently, right?"
"Don't worry, he is a thoughtful but very loyal person. You made the right choice."
"Ha, it's rare to see you praise someone."
The two talked for a while, and then Soshyan summoned the commanders of the battle group, communicated with Randall, and mobilized some defense areas. In the end, he only led two companies and some combat robots to the discovered hidden area. rally point.
Two hours later——
"Chapter Commander, be careful."
A strong gust of wind ruffled his cloak as he stared at the rebuilt fortress from the Thunderhawk's open assault ramp.
Much of the Traitor Keep was already rubble and slag, the defenses leveled as if systematically destroyed.
Plasma warheads rained down, miniature suns blooming over the razed remains of the fortress. Despite the damage to its surface, it was likely that most of the enemy was hiding underground. The bombing destroyed the anti-aircraft guns and turrets, but as always, the attack on this Removing the remains remains a difficult job.
Then he jumped off the Thunderhawk and fell the last fifty meters.
When he landed, the glassy wreckage in the sand pit cracked under his feet, and the Thunderhawk also landed on the ground. The jet wake dispersed the gray fog, and Soshyan's face and hair were covered with a light gray.
A breeze blows from the direction of the sea, bringing the smell of salty sea water.
The strange thing is that the smell of sea water mixed with the smell of burnt meat is unexpectedly not unpleasant.
Then he looked up and saw the clouds burned away by a furious barrage of orbiting light spears and plasma, leaving behind a sky filled with sunlight.
Under the indigo sky he could see the form of the Stormraven gunship.
Looking up, all around were war machines in the air, plasma trails cutting through the sky, and wakes ejected by jet engines when braking.
He chose noon as a time for revenge, instead of being veiled like at dawn or dusk, letting the bright sunlight illuminate the sword from the sky.
"Entrance on the left!"
Captain Maximilian of the Astral Knights, who was at the forefront, roared and gestured to his Terminator team.
"Get the melt on!"
The forts below the fort were well constructed and withstood the most ferocious orbital attacks.
However, several meters of the ground have been stripped away, revealing curved reinforced concrete tunnels and metal support structures, with the warriors gathering in one of the areas that opens to the outside.
A team of Terminators carry multi-meltas, bulky weapons with short range but devastating power.
Under the order of the company commander, they opened fire on the exposed tunnel. The combined blast of high-energy radiation turned the reinforced concrete into steam, leaving a large round hole about three meters in diameter.
Just as Maximilian was about to jump into the tunnel, Soshyan came wearing a Terminator.
"First company commander!"
Mark turned around as Soshyan came to him and drew his sword.
"Chapter Master."
There was a tremor in his voice, which might be excitement, but it might also be fear that Soshyan had changed his mind.
But Soshyan's subsequent actions reassured him, and he waved for Yilian to move forward.
"Destroy the stubborn enemies."
On the other side of the battlefield, as Talos strode across a pile of rubble turned from the molten inner walls, bolters kept passing by him.
Then, the heavier scream of the automatic cannon interrupted the din of bombs. This fire came from a crack in a bunker a hundred meters ahead. Because it was in a groove, the bunker escaped the shells. , and this was just one of several fortifications protecting the auxiliary fort, which itself was built above a mine shaft.
Soshyan led the first company to clear the underground passages of the main castle, while Talos led part of the eleventh and second companies to clear the remaining above-ground buildings.
So far, it's been an easy job.
But as the aerial firepower ceased, the defensive firepower became more ferocious. Shells exploded on the ground, and roars echoed in the air.
Ustad was observing the stronghold from a corner next to a Land Raider track, the black paint of the heavy personnel carrier's frontal armor scratched and bruised by direct hits and scattered shrapnel impacts, and the ground around it was mortared The shell craters were in disarray.
"How cunning."
Ustad grunted, then grabbed the laser turret on the side of the Land Raider's body and climbed onto the roof. The Space Marine who was manipulating the heavy bolter at the top turned around in surprise.
"Don't look at me, aim at the enemy and fire!"
As Ustad watched, three Landers simultaneously opened fire on the nearest fortifications, but a half-formed wall of blue light blocked the attack, and laser beams and shells hit uselessly just meters away from the fortifications.
"Do you know how many people are inside?"
"According to the scan data, we can only see a few dozen at most. These people are enough to control the stronghold. If we can't suppress the target, more people will be useless... It may take days or weeks to Force them out.”
Ustad motioned with his thumb for the gunner in the battery to rise from his position, descend into the Land Raider, go directly to the communications station, and switch the transmitter to the fire support channel.
"Storm Crow detachment, I need a fire corridor, one kilometer wide and two kilometers long, the coordinates have been transmitted."
"Received, Storm Crow detachment will execute immediately."
Turning off the communicator, he stepped out of the car and opened the assault ramp.
As it lowered, he walked onto ground repeatedly crushed by tracks and ravaged by artillery shells. Enemy counterfire struck a few hundred meters to his left, where a line of defenses stood before the earth-rending explosion. , the enemy troops hiding inside and outside the fortress took the opportunity to open fire, spitting out tongues of fire.
"Hey!"
Suddenly, the ground trembled, and a Sikaran battle tank arrived next to Ustad. Its tracks were covered with gravel and mud scraped from the ground, and its exhaust vent popped out like a dragon's stomach. heat.
Its main cannon then fired a ripple of fire into a nearby bunker, slicing the reinforced concrete with ruby-colored beams.
A hatch on the side of the heavy armor plate opened, and Technical Sergeant Rogris stepped out.
"Brother, it seems you are blocked."
"You came just in time."
"The Chapter Master has ordered a precise orbital bombardment, but your men must retreat first."
"clear."
Ustad said, stepped onto the huge tank, and began to issue orders to the soldiers.
"Everyone, retreat first!!"
