Chapter 45: Word Bearers
Lucan once again sat in the captain's chair.
"Raise void shield power to maximum! Provide cover for the assault squadron!"
This time, the Tyrant sailed at the head of the formation, its sturdy armor plating capable of withstanding more attacks. The Golden Ram followed close behind, drawing off excess enemy fire.
As the warships once again approached Agathos's orbit, the ground-based defense batteries detected their signals at the first opportunity.
Plasma and laser cannons began to recharge.
The moment the Tyrant entered orbit, these ground batteries opened fire simultaneously.
In the blink of an eye, lances struck the Tyrant's void shield, closely followed by several plasma blasts.
The void shield shattered. The Tyrant could only tank the hits with its adamantium-armored flank; one side of its adamantium plating instantly melted. The Golden Ram also endured two plasma hits. As its void shield overloaded, the warship had closed to the required distance.
"Now, Harlan!"
As the hangar doors of the Golden Ram in orbit opened, thirty Banshees all activated their cloaking devices and plunged into the atmosphere.
Taking advantage of the gap while the ground cannons recharged, both cruisers pushed their engine power to maximum and rapidly departed orbit.
Their mission was complete; the rest now depended on the performance of the Banshees.
"Alright everyone! The Banshee's power cells only allow us two hours of cloaked operation! We have no chance to return to the fleet. After completing your respective mission objectives, head to the Spire District of the hive city to support the Captain's soldiers!"
"Understood!"
As the Banshee fighters plunged into the atmosphere, Harlan, in his cockpit, felt the aircraft shake violently. After all, the Banshee was a vehicle designed for atmospheric combat; briefly operating in orbit was already its limit. Harlan nervously monitored all of the Banshee's data.
He was very worried that this fighter, with which he was not yet completely familiar, would disintegrate in the atmosphere.
Fortunately, however, no such mishap occurred. Thirty Banshees successfully entered Agathos's atmosphere.
"By the Golden Throne, see you in the Spire District!"
Then, the 30 Banshees, in elements of two, headed towards their pre-assigned targets.
Harlan and his wingman's mission was not to destroy those massive ground defense cannons themselves, but to eliminate various anti-aircraft batteries located at the junctions of the mid and upper hive levels, clearing a safe landing corridor for Lucan's subsequent landing forces.
The closer the Banshee got to the hive city, the more nervous Harlan became. Although the Banshee could cloak, he had no confidence at all that they wouldn't be detected.
However, when the target battery entered his Banshee's engagement range and still showed no reaction, Harlan knew they were in the clear.
As a massive explosion roared in the distance, Harlan knew his comrades had begun their attack.
He also aimed at the battery before him. Several plasteel high-explosive missiles lanced from the fighter's nose, accurately striking the battery's ammunition chain, triggering a sympathetic detonation and successfully destroying it. Without lingering, he immediately proceeded to the next target.
And Harlan's attack seemed to trigger a chain reaction; explosions echoed from all parts of the hive city.
"What happened?! Who destroyed the battery?!"
The heretek Tech-Priest in charge of these cannons stared incredulously at the augur array and Cogitator before him.
Even when he pushed the augur's power to maximum, no hostile signals appeared. And from the personnel operating the cannons, he learned what had happened.
Unknown ordnance, seemingly appearing from the void without any warning, had materialized and destroyed the target.
The blasphemous Tech-Priest naturally knew this couldn't be ordnance from the void. There was only one possibility: whoever destroyed the battery possessed a cloaking technology unknown to him.
But what good did knowing the Banshees could cloak do him? He had no countermeasures. He could only watch helplessly as the vital defenses that held back the orbital fleet were destroyed one by one.
This feeling was very much like knowing the enemy had cloaked Dark Templar in StarCraft, but having no detection yourself, and only being able to watch helplessly as the Dark Templar slaughtered your workers.
News of the destroyed batteries reached Valentin's ears at the first opportunity.
"What! How is this possible?! The Dynasty absolutely does not possess this capability! Could it be… could it be they discovered some lost technology during their recent exploration? We can't wait any longer! Launch a full-scale offensive! Have our people mix in with those bastards in the uphive! I don't believe he'd dare destroy the entire hive city!
Order the army to attack immediately! Have the Dark Mechanicum priests deploy all those augmented individuals and their daemon engines! And begin the sacrificial ritual at once!!"
Valentin knew he could not wait any longer. If these cannons were destroyed, the Dynasty fleet in orbit could support the loyalists without restraint. He had to consider the worst-case scenario: that Lucan, this newly appointed Rogue Trader, would become enraged and, disregarding all losses, resort to orbital bombardment of the hive city.
Although he felt this possibility was small – after all, the entire hive city had been under construction since the Dynasty's founding, and its destruction would set the Dynasty's strength back by at least several centuries – he couldn't afford to gamble.
He strode quickly to the secret sacrificial site.
The entire sacrificial chamber now reeked, the stench from the incontinence and vomit produced by people's terror potent enough to drive a normal person mad.
Valentin ignored the odor, gazing fanatically at the scene.
Dozens of Chaos psykers were positioned in various corners of this secret chamber, psychic energies surging around them.
They chanted prayers to the Dark Gods.
As their voices gradually filled the entire sacrificial site, the ritual circles drawn on the surroundings with blood began to glow.
"The end of all things… the Dawn is about to arrive! This decadent Dynasty will be rebuilt in my hands! Then, I will offer this world to the Empyrean!"
Valentin spread his arms, watching the ritual proceed with fervent eyes.
And as these Chaos psykers unleashed their psychic powers, all the humans in the cages began to wail in agony.
Their life force and souls were being stripped away. When these souls were devoured by the Warp, a Warp portal abruptly appeared within the hall.
Looking at this gate, Valentin's face was filled with longing. In his eyes, beyond that gate lay the world of truth.
Ten tall figures slowly strode out from the portal.
The blood-red power armor they wore signified their allegiance. The Astartes emerging from the Warp were none other than those shameful traitors.
And their dark red livery, the horn-like growths sprouting from their helmets, their power armor inscribed with countless prayers to the Dark Gods, and the "parchments" made of human skin affixed to their pauldrons and waists – these iconic marks clearly indicated their identity.
Word Bearers. A full squad of ten Word Bearer traitor Astartes stepped out of the portal.
Among these ten, forming an entire combat squad, three appeared particularly distinct. Their flesh had begun to undergo severe mutation due to daemonic possession; flesh-like weapons resembling chelae had even burst through the power armor they wore.
They were the Possessed Marines of the Word Bearers.
They came before Valentin, who was kneeling on the ground.
Valentin looked up, his face ecstatic, at the mutated flesh of these Word Bearers.
"The Dawn has arrived~" one of them intoned.
"Because of your supplication, we have come to this world. We will reveal to you the path from darkness to the Primordial Truth. It has already opened its gates to those like you who seek to escape lies and servitude. Valentin, you are a follower of the Dark Gods. Now, we will assist you in killing the servants of the False Emperor. When you lead us to the treasury of the Mongorte Dynasty, you too shall gain entry into the Empyrean. There, you will obtain everything you desire."
(End of Chapter)