Chapter 170: Strategic Analysis |
744.M41
Macragge's Third Defense Line, the Fortress World of Bormina.
Marneus Augustus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines and Lord of Macragge, currently faced the psychic communication feed opened by Tigurius.
The greatest Chapter Master since the fall of Primarch Roboute Guilliman seemed somewhat reserved as he looked at the faces projected before him.
Sevius, the Ultramarines Legion Duelist Champion and the First Chapter Master of the Obsidian Blades.
Calgar naturally recognized this highly respected elder, but at this moment, his brows furrowed imperceptibly, bewildered as to why an ancient warrior who should have been resting eternally in history had reappeared in the world.
Dracus, leader of the Ultramarines Legion's Invincible Iron Guard and deputy commander of the Victorious Guard.
Calgar's gaze paused briefly on him. A portrait of this legendary warrior still hung high in the Hall of Honor of the Victorious Guard for Future Generations of warriors to revere.
However, the Chapter Master's fingertips tapped lightly and unconsciously against the gauntlet of his power armor. Why had a death so clearly proclaimed in historical records been overturned?
Romulus, leader of the Expeditionary Fleet, the Lord of Dawn.
He sat upright upon the throne, majestic and calm. His very existence was an answer, a possibility: The Emperor might have modeled this new Primarch after the template of the Thirteenth Legion's Primarch.
Contact between the Expeditionary Fleet and Macragge had not been sudden.
Long before the main body of the fleet set sail, a small vanguard unit composed of Adeptus Astartes Librarians, independent of Navigators, had already headed straight for Macragge.
Calgar was well aware of the Expeditionary Fleet's existence. Although communication across the sea of stars suffered delays due to the vast distance, both sides had maintained a steady and regular exchange.
However, facing each other directly like this was an unprecedented first.
"..."
Calgar subconsciously controlled his newly repaired secondary Heart, willing its beating rhythm to gradually slow and steady.
His gaze swept impassively toward Tigurius beside him. The Chief Librarian's staff, inherited from the hero Malcador, was emitting a faint psychic glow.
Tigurius's loyalty was unquestionable, and the years he had dedicated to Macragge were equally long.
But at this moment, the Chapter Master could not help but wonder if this highly respected warrior was using psychic powers to play a trick on him.
Despite being separated by countless light-years, relying solely on psychic communication to maintain this meeting, Calgar clearly felt an indescribable sense of oppression. The existence in the projection was by no means an ordinary Battle-Brother, but some sort of higher-tier entity.
Calgar had never met a conscious Primarch.
But if he had to find a reference for how he felt at this moment, only his Genetic Father, enshrined aboard the Samothrace, could compare.
A legendary warrior returned from the dead.
A mysterious entity suspected of being a Primarch.
Every single detail was enough to arouse vigilance; every clue easily led one to suspect the vile tricks of Chaos.
After all, those blasphemous entities never knew the meaning of boundaries.
"Chapter Master Calgar."
Romulus's voice broke the silence.
"Lord Romulus, Lord of Dawn, I salute you in the name of the Ultramarines."
Calgar responded immediately, the joints of his power armor emitting a faint hum.
He leaned his body forward slightly, adopting a flawless posture of respectful listening.
Meanwhile, in the shadows just beyond the reach of the communication projection, several Dark Angels crossed their arms in unison, looking extremely displeased.
'The Lord of the Legion clearly should be His Highness! How can an Ultramarine be allowed to become the Lord of the Legion!'
"The Expeditionary Fleet will split into two forces. One will head to the Calth defense line, advancing from north to south to bring Liberation to the Planets still resisting, while simultaneously compressing the maneuverable space of the Hive Fleet."
Romulus had no intention of exchanging pleasantries.
The Lord Regent was perfectly safe inside his stasis field, and the Ultramarines were not like those love-starved, overly sensitive children of the Blood Angels. The younger members could probably even go home to see their parents during the holidays, so keeping things strictly professional was best.
"The other fleet, which includes the Imperial Navy, will be placed under your command. You must hold the line until we completely annihilate the Tyranid Hive Fleet in the rear."
Although Romulus harbored some criticisms over how a war with clear advance warnings and unilateral transparency had devolved into its current state, he kept his thoughts to himself after reviewing Calgar's battle reports.
He raised a hand and expanded the Star Map before him, while Rameses adjusted the viewing angle to provide a better perspective.
After laying out his plans on the Star Map, the two sides continued to discuss the finer tactical details. They exchanged information, continuously patching up any gaps or blind spots in each other's strategies.
Calgar silently breathed a sigh of relief and began to supply Romulus with various critical details sourced directly from the frontlines.
"The battlefield adaptability of the Tyranids is indeed incredibly superior and rapid, but their so-called 'tactics' resemble the stress responses of a wounded beast far more than any advanced strategy based on anticipating enemy movements."
"For instance, if an offensive by the Tyranid Hive Fleet is repelled by solid projectile weapons, their subsequent waves will feature significantly thickened carapaces. It is akin to a targeted biological adaptation to a specific environmental hazard."
"Although this biological trait becomes a logistical nightmare when paired with the overwhelming, world-blotting numbers of the swarm, it also means the hive is incredibly rigid from a strategic perspective. The Hive Fleet's several localized defeats clearly demonstrate this flaw."
"When encountering certain hardened strongholds, the Hive Fleet refuses to simply bypass them. Instead, it continuously adapts and throws itself into a war of attrition. Consequently, if the defenders are adequately prepared and possess enough unwavering courage, the Tyranid Hive Fleet will readily plunge headlong into the meat grinder. Once Imperium reinforcements arrive, the tide of the battle will swiftly be turned."
This tactical analysis, practically dripping with Departmento Munitorum rhetoric, sounded logical and well-substantiated. In reality, it was simply a psychological tool meant to boost morale and instill confidence in the soldiers by deliberately belittling the enemy.
Yet surprisingly, once this assessment received the collective endorsement of the Adeptus Astartes, it legitimately ignited an astonishing fervor for resistance across the various Planets within the Ultramar Sector.
The Departmento Munitorum placed very few restrictions on the deployment of various ground-based armaments.
The Planetary Defense Force and the Astra Militarum heavily referenced the "Tyranid Xenos Strategy Manual, Third Edition (For Reference Only)" authored by Romulus.
The widespread issuance of promethium weaponry and plasma rifles, combined with the deliberate and systematic incineration of all biological remains—both friend and foe—after every skirmish, genuinely caused tremendous difficulties for the Tyranid Hive Fleet's ground offensives.
At the very least, now that the Expeditionary Fleet had finally breached the orbit of Macragge's capital world, these Planets finally possessed a genuine opportunity for salvation.
Calgar's handling of the overarching tactical situation had been remarkably flexible.
Since the Tyranid Hive Fleet had seen through the Ultramarines' tactical limitations, he simply drafted the Scythes of the Emperor and the Silver Skulls into a joint task force. He designated those two Chapters to handle the grueling, unconventional warfare that blatantly violated the strict combat doctrines of the Codex Astartes.
The Ultramarines, meanwhile, took on a secondary role, holding the line in zones that required them to weather grueling wars of attrition. Within these specific operational theaters, the Ultramarines could perfectly leverage their defensive expertise without ever having to worry about violating the tenets of the Codex.
Moreover, the base quality of the Ultramarines' battle-brothers was beyond reproach. The veterans of the First and Second Companies possessed absolutely top-tier combat effectiveness. On an open, frontal battlefield, even when strictly employing conventional tactics, the Tyranid Hive Fleet was simply no match for them.
Currently, the defensive lines had stabilized, and the Tyranids' path of advance had been firmly intercepted. The fortress world of Bormina, bearing the brunt of the Tyranid Hive Fleet's main offensive, was now heavily garrisoned by three Space Marine Chapters.
The remaining six Space Marine Chapters had been dispatched by Calgar across the sector. Their orders were to bring Liberation to besieged worlds, or to execute Exterminatus on those that had already fallen entirely, systematically destroying any biomass the Hive Fleet could use for reinforcements.
However, due to the severe loss of the Mobile Fleet, the combined naval strike capabilities of the various Space Marine Chapters were stretched incredibly thin.