novelnext Page 346
Page 346
As for the other frigates... they had already been smashed to pieces by the enemy's saturation firepower.
The entire Son of the Emperor fleet was teetering on the brink of collapse under enemy fire.
The flames on the ground were still burning fiercely, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Without the harassment of surface-to-air weapons, the rebels' firepower began to relentlessly advance towards the Emperor's Son fleet in the void.
"You! You pilot the spaceship closer to Mandeville Point and enter the subspace blind jump."
"Forgrim commands," she said, "the current situation leaves no room for further hesitation."
If we stay here any longer, the entire Son of the Emperor fleet will face annihilation.
We must preserve our strength
Although the chances of surviving a blind jump under this subspace storm are extremely low, this is their last chance to preserve some of their strength.
"But if that's the case... sir, our surface troops..."
Commander Ador didn't say directly that Kasgar was on the ground, but her words still revealed some confusion as to why Fugrim would abandon Kasgar.
"That's right. That's why it's not me who's leaving, but you."
"Prepare my Firebird," Fugrim said calmly. "The flames spreading across the surface are weakening."
"Once the fire is completely extinguished, we will land on the surface of Istvan III and fight to the death with the warriors of the Son of the Emperor!"
As she spoke, she lightly pounded the golden eagle poised to take flight on her chest with her right hand.
"Visparsen".
"exist."
Fugrim called one of the commanders to the front, her tone even carrying a sense of resolute determination, as if entrusting her son to someone.
"After I leave the Imperial Pride, the entire fleet will be under your full command."
"If you are able to break out of the warp storm one day, the entire Sons of the Emperor's Legion will be under your command."
"Yes."
Commander Vesper first had no objection to Fugrim's orders.
If given a choice, no emperor's son would be willing to desert in a time of mutual destruction.
But Vespasian, the most perfect of all the commanders, chose to comply.
He could not die gloriously like his other brothers and sisters because he had a heavier responsibility on his shoulders.
The fire on the surface of Istvan III is subsiding, after the initial explosion—and even to accelerate the burning process, the Casca surface forces have taken measures to neutralize flammable gases outside some underground protective facilities.
They even knew exactly what kind of chemical agents the other party would use!
The fire was extinguished at a speed that no one could have imagined.
The scenario that the rebels had envisioned—a combined bombardment of virus bombs and light spears that would melt the earth's surface like lava—did not occur.
As if they had known in advance what tactics the enemy would use to clear the surface, Casca's surface forces once again thwarted the enemy's plot.
What a tenacious bunch...
After the bombing was completed, the signal from the Steel Hand Primarch was transmitted to the "processor" of each mech warrior.
Since they were able to evade the extinction-order orbital bombardment...
Let's see if these annoying little bugs can handle the true strength of the Iron Hand Legion.
As for Shadowmoon Wolf...
Abaddon, that coward, said he was unwilling to kill his former comrades with his own hands and therefore would not send the Shadowmoon Wolves to the surface.
Until Horus officially awakens, Izcael Abaddon will not issue any more orders to attack the surface.
ridiculous.
When he ordered the virus bombs to be dropped onto the ground, did he ever think that this would be brothers killing each other?
What a weak fellow, controlled by his fickle and foolish emotions... Every choice he makes is so ridiculous.
However, these small variables will not affect the final result in the slightest.
Victory will forever belong to her, the Mother of Steel, Phyllis Marus.
Accompanied by the meticulously arranged, cold steel legion, Phyllis led them off the landing deck.
......
"She still came down."
Casca looked at the group of fighter jets circling in the sky and said helplessly.
Here, "she" refers not only to Philus, who was building the Steel Hand landing site, but also to the Firebird, which was charging left and right under enemy fire.
He couldn't possibly not recognize Fugrim's vehicle.
After the initial surface explosion ended, and seeing that orbital bombardment could no longer achieve sufficient destructive effect, impatient Philus finally chose to lead her fully mechanized forces to carry out surface cleanup.
Meanwhile, the remaining loyalist fighters led by Casca gradually emerged from their shelters to continue their guerrilla warfare.
"Ugh."
Kasgar sighed helplessly: "Quickly, get on the turrets and shoot down those enemy fighters that are besieging the Firebird, protect the Primarch."
Clearly, if Forgrim, as the Imperial Warmaster, could safely return to Holy Terra at this point, the final siege of Terra would be much easier thanks to the Warmaster's influence.
But Forgrim wouldn't listen to him.
Under the Primarch's control, she remained undaunted and completed the landing even with numerous fighters following her.
"Casca!"
Fugrim leaped joyfully from the Stormbird and pounced on Kasgar.
"you......"
Kaska could only feel utterly helpless upon seeing this.
"You're not angry that I broke my promise to you and ran away without permission?"
"What's the use of blaming them?"
Casca gently pulled away from the other person's embrace.
"Now, let's break through this dead end together."
"Ah."
Their gazes fell upon the distant horizon, where dark clouds loomed over the city.
There, the Iron Hand army is assembling.
......
Guerrilla warfare was waged on this scorched earth.
The direct firepower of the Steel Hands is unmatched by any loyalist warrior.
"Now! Fire!"
The instant Phyllis emerged from the Stormbird, ambushes from the Emperor's Son and Shadowmoon Wolves launched an attack on the mechanical legion in the center from all around the landing point.
Artillery fire came from all directions towards the landing site.
As masters of guerrilla tactics, the Emperor's Sons' raids are swift and deadly.
After the rapid volley of ammunition, even the steel-armed mechanical warriors suffered heavy casualties and collapsed on the spot.
But at that very moment, the emperor's son, the company commander who organized the guerrillas, felt Philus's gaze.
Even in the hidden underground base, he could feel the enemy's firepower locking on him.
"The enemy has locked onto us! Move out of here immediately!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a barrage of fire, many times more intense than before, precisely struck the spot where they had just been fired upon.
Each missile exploded overhead as if it had calculated the opponent's movement data.
Even though the battlefield seemed completely dazzling to others, according to Philus's calculations, even the guerrilla space marines with ample cover suffered heavy losses under Philus's attack.
The initial firefight between the two sides' surface forces has ended.
Under Philus's personal leadership, these mechanical legions, which were originally like mindless automatons, suddenly became perfect and flawless super soldiers, as if they had been given an external brain.
Each attack hits the target the Primarch intended to strike, just like the most accurate marksman.
Meanwhile, under the coordination of the Primarch, the Steel Hands' artillery fire coverage was exceptionally precise.
In the initial contact just now, the entire legion did not waste a single bit of firepower.
The remaining loyalist members could only temporarily hold off the enemy's cleanup forces by taking advantage of the terrain, and launch surprise attacks on the Iron Hand forces by taking advantage of their greater mobility, causing casualties in the battle.
However, this guerrilla tactic is a double-edged sword.
Every attack by the loyalist forces, while inflicting some casualties on the enemy, also exposes their own base to Philus's precise and accurate scanning.
No one knows why her scanning and computing abilities are so terrifying... but if the guerrillas were to launch even one attack on Philus, it would essentially be equivalent to exposing themselves and all the hidden locations around them.
As for Kasgar... he and Fugrim rarely appeared during this guerrilla war.
Unless they are scattered mechanical warriors searching the scorched earth of a planet, they will quickly move to another location after completing their kills.
Casca is waiting for an opportunity.
A direct confrontation with the Steel Hand is invincible.
The legend of spending 10,000 to get 50,000 in fortune still circulates.
However, similarly, as long as the leader of the Iron Hand, Phyllis Manus, can be eliminated, the entire legion will fall into a mindless melee, just like the Terran fleet without the Norn Queen or the Greenskins without Warboss.
Just like on the Istvan 5 in the original timeline, giving that senior student Fei a blow—
However, Phyllis's mind now only contains the most rational and correct choice.
Wielding Medusa's Blade, she will forever remain under the protection of countless steel guardians.
—Now even their signature act is gone.
"Let's wait..."
Casca waited quietly, relying on information from the others.
......
"Fight! For the Emperor! For the glory of the Emperor's son!"
Even if the Sons of the Emperor were exposed the moment they were exposed, the Sons of the Emperor's Company Commander and all his squads would use themselves as bait to take down the enemy's Iron Warriors together.
......
"Oh......"
Santo struggled to stay afloat, completing the next phase of the retreat under the relentless onslaught of the steel-armed forces.
His remaining loyal Iron Hands were also nearly wiped out after a long and intense battle.
The Amal brothers... He died in the first month of the battle protecting them as they moved the exploding bodies. Now, the only leaders left in this guerrilla force are the Emperor's son's company commander Kai'thoron and him.
A company commander from two corps.
However, judging from the current situation, it is very likely that their missions will all come to an end today.
“He was a glorious soldier of the Thousand Sons, and so are you, Santo.”
The company commander of the Son of the Emperor, sitting opposite Santo, looked at his scarred face and shook his hand heavily.
"Heh, that's not wrong."
Santo said, "However, I think I dreamed about something during my nap just now."
"what's up?"
"It's as if I can see our two legions as enemies, but this time it's the Emperor's son who has betrayed us."
"Ok?"
"After you cut off my head, kiss me passionately."
Kaiseron: "..."