The Emperor’s Angel of Death

#2119 - Opening Game (Part 2)

When the enemy's Dauntless-class light cruiser lost power, the escort frigate squadron changed course to 240 to focus fire on the enemy ship. The Dauntless-class could only float silently, taking continuous hits. Its entire bridge and superstructure were quickly engulfed in flames, yet it still floated.

The Dauntless-class, as a cruiser emphasizing independent combat capabilities, showcased its defensive capabilities without a doubt.

At this moment, it made a final desperate attempt. The Arrow's scanning array detected small, high-speed targets launching from the enemy ship.

“Enemy boarding torpedoes approaching!”

“Three Thunderhawk signals detected!”

Thunderhawks, commonly used by the Astartes chapters, naturally have good performance, but their primary role is ground support and transport. Against Lightnings designed specifically for aerial combat, they are far inferior in speed and maneuverability, even though they are more durable. However, no matter how durable, they can't withstand many missiles.

“Order Lightning Squadron to intercept the enemy Thunderhawks, First Bomber Squadron to intercept the enemy boarding torpedoes.”

Previously, Chinedu had ordered the Starhawk bombers' missiles to be replaced with air-to-air missiles effective against enemy aircraft and small targets. The Starhawk's own twin-linked long-barrelled laser turrets could also effectively attack the boarding torpedoes. Simultaneously, the frigates quickly turned, using crossfire to intercept the boarding torpedoes.

If its escorting warships were still present, perhaps this desperate assault might have had a chance of success, but they chose to fight to the death only when they were at their wit's end.

Chinedu's evaluation was only two words.

“Foolish.”

At this moment, the Dauntless-class's stern was already on fire and continuously exploding. Then, a large explosion occurred in the middle of the ship, and the entire bridge was blown away in the smoke.

As for the three Thunderhawks, they frantically darted around under the pursuit of 16 Lightning fighters. Although the Lightning fighters' laser cannons and autocannons couldn't quickly destroy the Thunderhawks, the missiles they fired were more lethal in space than in the atmosphere. It was too difficult for the Thunderhawks to chase the Lightnings; the speed and maneuverability of the two were not on the same level at all.

Soon, two Thunderhawks, after exhausting all their efforts, were still hit by missiles. As they exploded, they ejected figures clad in red armor into space. Chinedu deliberately released an observation drone, focusing the camera on those Chaos Space Marines thrown into the void.

They looked so blasphemous, so terrifying, and so—

Angry.

Even when thrown into space, they stubbornly used bolters to fire at targets they couldn't harm at all. This was the fallen demigods, their struggling like fish dragged ashore.

A Lightning flew past, its machine guns firing, instantly blasting a Chaos Space Marine into fragments of flesh and metal that rapidly dispersed and expanded.

And those boarding torpedoes, none of them actually reached their target. The closest one was hit in the stern and midsection by five missiles fired by Starhawks, 15 kilometers away from the Arrow. The horrific explosion threw a group of tiny red figures into the void.

In fact, Chinedu really wanted to capture some prisoners; that would be an unparalleled honor, but he was only thinking about it. The naval regulations had a very clear rule—

Under no circumstances should Chaos Space Marines in any condition (whether dead or alive) be brought aboard a ship.

Without a doubt, this was a regulation summarized from countless bloodshed. Even if they were corrupted, they were still Astartes, and even the corruption itself gave them some strange and unpredictable powers. Even if they looked dead, they might suddenly come back to life and create a terrifying crisis inside the ship.

So, he could only issue one order.

“Eliminate all traitors.”

Because of the presence of Chaos Space Marines, even escape pods were no longer safe; once discovered, they had to be destroyed as well.

Just as the 19th Escort Squadron was carrying out the final battlefield cleanup, distant probes and warp probes suddenly sent strong signals, which were immediately captured by the Arrow's detectors.

“Receive all signals, order fighters to return to the hangar deck.”

Chinedu came to the pict-capture near the cogitator array. At this time, two tech-priests were busy, and soon the analysis data was reflected in a concrete form.

In the vast area ahead, a huge signal source appeared, followed by dense small signal sources, like a giant sea monster emerging from the deep sea with its countless servants and offspring. Chinedu's eyes widened, and his lips trembled.

“This is”

He had already determined what the signal scan had detected.

The Red Corsairs' main fleet!

“Squadron, turn! Course 180! Full speed disengage! Immediately signal the Doom Moon! Red alert signal!!!”

Three hours after the 19th Escort Squadron clashed with the enemy's vanguard fleet, the massive space hulk *Savage Crucible*, dragging a scarlet wake, appeared in the Imperial Expeditionary Fleet's star system observation systems. It was like a barbaric tumor, without any rules, without any signs, and not even belonging to any race, just like the capricious nature of Chaos.

From the scanned outline, one could see a large number of warship wrecks attached to its body. They were like towering, dark, and ugly metal turrets, with countless turrets and missile launchers reaching into space like the claws of a raptor. In addition, there were many flesh-like substances attached to the surface of the space hulk, representing its blasphemous demonic power. The black ripples constantly rising around it were the material manifestation of its powerful defensive shields.

And around it were hundreds of ships, from battleships to cruisers to raiders, and even armed merchant ships, as varied as a naval review.

Boarding and purging a space hulk that randomly jumps out of the warp and floats alone in the void is dangerous enough. Now, facing a specially armed space hulk escorted by enemy warships, it is basically a task that requires the investment of an entire expeditionary fleet to have a chance of success.

And waiting for it is a relic and echo from the most glorious era of the Imperium of Man, and also the force that the enemy fears most in the Great Crusade.

“There's something strange about this space hulk.”

Standing beside Azrael, scrutinizing the transmitted image information with the Supreme Grand Master, Dark Angels Chief Librarian Saphon frowned.

“What force is driving it? And what force has made it succumb to the Red Corsairs' control? In the ten thousand years since the Chapter's Great Betrayal, we have dealt with nearly three digits of space hulks, but no force has ever been able to truly drive this twisted polymer.”

Standing on the ancient bridge of the *Invincible Reason*, Azrael was not in a hurry to express his opinion. He was still carefully examining the details of the space hulk.

This space hulk was so huge, conservatively estimated to be over 100 kilometers long, like a mountain floating in space. Only a madman could imagine such a mountain, and the Red Corsair ships around it, even battleships, looked as small as mosquitoes.