"Alex, what do we do now? If we don't take down the Magnificent Stone, that thing will flatten the entire city!" Gutierrez's voice came through the communicator, urgent and clearly anxious.
His urging doubled the pressure on Alex; the current battle situation was already grim, and the Magnificent Stone's presence not only threatened Rostov's defenses but could also utterly destroy the entire city.
Alex stared at the battlefield map, his brows furrowed, his mind rapidly strategizing.
He already had an idea, but this plan was extremely risky; a slight misstep could lead to irreparable consequences. He hesitated for a moment, then asked Gutierrez, "What would be the consequences of firing a Nova Cannon within the atmosphere?"
"A Nova Cannon? You can't be thinking of…" Gutierrez instantly understood Alex's intention, his tone showing a hint of surprise, but quickly turning resolute: "We can fire it! During the Third Armageddon War, the General's Cannon unearthed by the Imperium was a Nova Cannon, and there's no problem using it within the atmosphere.
Although its destructive power is immense, as long as it can destroy the Magnificent Stone, the cost is worth it."
Alex nodded, feeling a little more at ease, and immediately issued the order: "Contact Sage Donya. Have her Forge Ship prepare to fire the Nova Cannon. Use the Nova Cannon to destroy the Magnificent Stone."
However, while ordering Donia to fire the Nova Cannon, he also added to Gutierrez: "Withdraw all troops. The Nova Cannon's destructive power is too strong; keeping the troops nearby would be sending them to their deaths."
"Understood, but in that case, we can only use the Space Marines to delay the Necrons' attack," Gutierrez understood Alex's meaning, his tone tinged with helplessness.
However, in a sense, Astartes were made for this job.
Their mission was to step up at the most critical moments and undertake the most dangerous tasks.
"Execute it. Let the Ash Knights go first. If it's not enough, I'll call for reinforcements." Although Alex felt a pang of reluctance, he still made the decision calmly.
He knew that at such a time, he had to be decisive; any hesitation could lead to greater losses.
"We should have enough personnel now. Let me test the true worth of Titus, this dual-chosen one!" Gutierrez clearly had a plan, his tone filled with confidence and a fighting spirit.
He was evidently confident in Titus's abilities and prepared to lead the charge himself.
Alex simply nodded, saying nothing more, and turned back to focus on commanding the battle.
He had to ensure that the fleet in orbit continued to tie down the Necrons' space fleet, preventing them from supporting the ground battle.
Meanwhile, Donia's Forge Ship had begun to adjust its position, preparing to fire the Nova Cannon.
However, before firing the Nova Cannon, Donia still had her Forge Ship provide a wave of fire support to the ground.
The warship's Macro cannon and lances precisely targeted large units among the Necron army, such as the Monoliths. After several rounds of bombardment, several Monoliths were completely destroyed, and the portals stopped deploying troops.
This wave of fire support bought valuable breathing room for the ground forces; the Necrons' offensive was temporarily suppressed.
Taking advantage of the brief lull created by the Forge Ship's bombardment, Gutierrez quickly re-adjusted his deployment.
Standing in the temporary command post on the front line, he scanned the battlefield map, then turned to Titus and the other Space Marines beside him, stating firmly: "The Ash Knights will assist the Astra Militarum in delaying the enemy's advance. Titus, you and your Blood Angels brothers must find a way to stop that big thing! We cannot let it get any closer to the city, or the consequences will be unimaginable!"
Titus nodded, his gaze fixed on the Magnificent Stone slowly advancing in the distance.
That behemoth was like a moving mountain, awe-inspiring.
He pondered for a moment, then proposed his plan: "Stop it from advancing? Perhaps we can use Thermo-meltdown bombs to destroy parts of its structure, thereby impeding its progress. As long as we damage its propulsion system or supporting structure, it should be able to stop it temporarily."
Gutierrez did not comment on this, merely responding briefly: "You can use any method you want to stop it, but we must stop this thing before the Nova Cannon fires, to buy time for the troops to evacuate. Time is running out, act fast!"
"Understood, please leave it to me, Master Gutierrez!" Titus's expression was serious and earnest. Once the mission was clear, he immediately gathered his squad and rendezvoused with the Blood Angels' Death Company, who had already assembled.
They quickly geared up and charged towards the Magnificent Stone.
Meanwhile, Gutierrez, along with the Weepers and the Ash Knights, began to establish a temporary defensive line.
Their task was to block the Necrons' advance, preventing the enemy from breaking through the line before the Nova Cannon fired and threatening the city's safety.
Although this defensive line was hastily established, with the assistance of the Space Marines and the tenacious resistance of the Defense Force, the Necrons' offensive was temporarily contained.
Behind them, other units were retreating, avoiding being caught in the Nova Cannon's strike radius.
One must know that the Nova Cannon's power is immense; once fired, the entire battlefield will be engulfed by its explosive force.
In space, a single Nova Cannon shot can sink small vessels such as frigates, destroyers, and even light cruisers.
And using such a weapon within the atmosphere, its destructive power would be even more exaggerated.
The shockwave and energy release from the explosion would be enough to destroy all targets within tens, or even hundreds, of kilometers, and could even have long-term effects on the surrounding environment.
But only a weapon like the Nova Cannon could destroy the Magnificent Stone in the shortest possible time.
Alex and everyone else knew this was a huge gamble, but they had no other choice.
If the Magnificent Stone continued to advance, the entire city of Rostov would face annihilation.
And now, everyone's hope rested on Titus and his squad.
They had to find a way to stop the Magnificent Stone's advance in the shortest possible time, to buy the last moments for the Nova Cannon's firing and the withdrawal of other armies.
If they failed to complete the mission, Donia would have no choice but to disregard the troops still on the ground and forcibly fire the Nova Cannon.
After all, everyone knew that if the Magnificent Stone approached the city, a massive Necron army would destroy the entire city, billions of Imperial citizens within the city would be slaughtered, and Rostov II would fall.
For the Imperium, the loss of billions of Imperial citizens was not important, but this crucial planet absolutely could not be allowed to fall into xenos hands.
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