Chapter 198: I've Put Up With You For A Long Time |
Impec System, planetary orbit.
The massive hull of the Dawnlight hovered silently beside the Devouring Sharks fleet. The macro-cannon arrays had completed their preheating sequence, their muzzles all pointing toward the Chaos-corrupted planet below.
Within this grim and imposing fleet, the deployment of a few particular warships stood out prominently—
They hung perilously low, practically hugging the very edge of the planetary defense grid, as if ready to dive down at any moment and be the first to charge onto the surface.
Those were the vessels of the Consecrators Chapter.
Romulus stood on the observation deck, his gaze piercing through the toughened glass to rest upon those warships poised for battle. He completely understood this sense of urgency. From the moment he received the Devouring Sharks' distress signal, he had guessed what Ezekiel was truly searching for.
Everyone had read the novels about the Lion, and they all knew exactly what the Ten Thousand Eyes Warband was, as well as their true objective.
Pure, unadulterated Fallen Angels.
After all, Arthur's side had not yet been exposed. The number of people lying in stasis fields was already approaching triple digits; there was no way anyone would suspect them.
Precisely because the Ten Thousand Eyes Warband was actually here. It made it all the more imperative for the Transmigrators to come; otherwise, both the Devouring Sharks and the Mantis Warriors would likely be completely wiped out.
"Which means we currently cannot destroy this planet directly?"
Romulus asked.
"Yes, at least not through orbital strikes. Furthermore, the Devouring Sharks are not carrying any Exterminatus weapons capable of detonating on the planet's surface."
Shal nodded from the other end of the communication line.
"..."
Romulus stared silently at the parameters dancing across the tactical table, the servo-motors of his power armor emitting a faint hum. His cognitive processors spun rapidly, formulating two complete battle plans in an instant—
The first was simple and direct: deploy landing forces to drop Exterminatus devices at key locations, reducing the entire planet to ashes.
The second was far more complex: send ground troops to destroy the ritual core, eliminate the Warp contamination, and then attempt to restore this world.
The former was brutal but efficient. The latter, while time-consuming, would not be too difficult given the Dawnlight fleet's military might, and it would preserve a habitable world for humanity.
The problem, however, lay with the current composition of their fleet.
"Rameses."
After completing the data exchange with the Devouring Sharks' fleet, Romulus spoke over the internal comms channel:
"Send an encrypted psychic transmission to the surface. And remember—"
His fingertips rapped twice against the tactical report.
"Do not mention any combat logs regarding the Ten Thousand Eyes Warband. Maintain radio silence and evacuate immediately."
At the same time, Romulus's voice echoed across the bridge.
"Connect me to the Consecrators."
The communications officer immediately leaned over to operate the control panel.
"Lord Ezekiel."
On the bridge of the battle barge, Nakir voiced his inquiry.
Ezekiel did not hesitate much, choosing to accept the connection right away.
Simultaneously, however, he ordered the Inner Circle members into the orbital drop pods, and the stasis bombs entered their pre-launch sequence once more.
The backlash from wiping out the Dawnlight fleet would be severe. The Dark Angels might not be able to withstand the fierce retaliation of dozens of Chapters, but as long as the secret was well-kept, that would be enough.
The Dark Angels were unparalleled at keeping secrets, and they possessed remarkably decisive measures to ensure it.
"Let us have an open and honest conversation."
Romulus started directly. Although he had already finalized the preliminary deployments, he did not want to risk eliminating an entire Chapter right now unless absolutely necessary.
"We came here responding to a request from our allies, to eradicate the enemy and cleanse the taint of Chaos."
With that said, he quietly looked at Ezekiel, waiting for his response.
Ezekiel remained silent for a moment before replying, "We are the same. The Consecrators received a transmission, which is why we hurried here to provide support."
Titus and Dracus, standing beside Romulus, both frowned. They clearly did not believe Ezekiel's excuse.
However, their lord had always handled the Dark Angels with extreme caution, so he likely would not voice too many doubts at this time.
"We will leave the formulation of the battle strategy to you. The Dawnlight fleet will provide any necessary support. We need to retrieve the uncorrupted civilians from the surface, along with the two Chapters."
Romulus mused for a moment before continuing.
Compared to the Radicals—like Rameses, who intended to directly replace this branch of Dark Angels using the Primaris Space Marines scavenged from Cawl—he prioritized maintaining stability.
It was best to avoid a fight if possible. If the Consecrators were willing to act as the vanguard and do the fighting, that was a good thing. All they had to do was fish out the Sharks and the Mantis Warriors.
"..."
On the other end, Nakir and Ezekiel exchanged a glance, both catching the flash of surprise in the other's eyes.
They had acted far too eagerly, to the point that the Primarch had realized they were hiding a secret.
However, the Primarch had no intention of prying, which allowed Ezekiel to breathe a sigh of relief.
"The Consecrators can fulfill our own ground combat requirements without the assistance of the Dawnlight fleet. We ask only that you remain vigilant against threats in the void, my lord."
After some careful consideration, Ezekiel replied.
Since there was a mutual understanding between both parties, a pleasant cooperation was for the best.
"Understood."
Romulus did not say anything else and simply cut the connection, simultaneously prompting Arthur and Rameses to evacuate as quickly as possible.
No matter what, this planet had to be dealt with.
"Send a message to the surface, and then we make planetfall."
Ezekiel turned around and headed toward the launch bays.
"We cannot simply ignore everything that has transpired on this world."
——
Impec Prime - Ansel
Dozens of Thunderhawks and massive transport ships hovered over the fortress's landing pads. Under the stable operation of the anti-air defense grid, these vulnerable and fragile aircraft managed to land safely.
Hiss—
Accompanied by the shrieking hiss of depressurizing hydraulics, the Thunderhawk gunship's forward ramp slowly lowered. Ezekiel stepped out first, followed by the Inner Circle members streaming out behind him. Their bolters were primed and ready to fire, while the scanners beneath their helmets constantly analyzed the fortress's defensive layout.
Ansel was a forge city belonging to the Adeptus Mechanicus. Its scale wasn't particularly grand; the reason the Tech-Priests established a city here was due to the region possessing a rare mineral deposit. This resource could serve as a temporary substitute for the crystals required to fire volcano cannons.
Compared to the crystals from the mining world of Cinder XI, these gems had a much more stable output and a lower efficiency, but they lacked the side effect of driving people insane.
Of course, due to the unique status brought about by these mineral deposits, this forge city held the manufacturing permits for Shadowsword super-heavy tanks.
Because of this, having endured Tyranid harassment, Chaos invasions, and ritual blockades under such desperate circumstances, the Mechanicus—unable to uproot and relocate the entire forge city—had no time to hide their assets.
One Shadowsword after another rumbled out of their storehouses, deploying across various critical defensive positions.
Aside from the Shadowswords, Ezekiel also spotted all manner of fully armed vehicles and an astonishing number of Guard Militant.
"..."
Ezekiel gazed at the precious vehicles deployed along the battlements; the sheer quantity was enough to arm more than a dozen Chapters.
Only in the most desperate of times could you discover just how much wealth these bloodsucking parasites clinging to the Imperium had actually hoarded.
Yet the Imperium was utterly helpless to do anything about it.
From the humble lasguns in the hands of the Astra Militarum to the colossal warships prowling the sea of stars, virtually everything had to pass through the hands of the Mechanicus.
Holding the lifeblood of the Imperium, they had acquired unparalleled power and wealth, growing increasingly unscrupulous in the process.
"Consecrators Chapter!"
Ezekiel, who was in the middle of handing over defense duties to Tyberos, suddenly stopped speaking. The crimson glare of his mechanical bionic eye locked onto a servitor that abruptly approached.
The Inner Circle members instantly raised their weapons, taking aim at the servitor.
Ezekiel raised a hand, signaling for everyone to remain on high alert while he took a step forward.
"Magos, state your purpose."
"Consecrators Chapter, your reaction time is twice as slow as my calculations projected! The forge city continues to suffer losses due to your incompetence! And those bothersome refugees from Ansel—"
The synthesized mechanical voice suddenly pitched higher.
"Transfer them out of here immediately! Even turning them into servitors would be an insult to efficiency!"
The Magos's words were exceedingly irritating, but considering that the vast majority of Tech-Priests acted exactly like this, Ezekiel swallowed his annoyance.
"Magos!"
He raised his hand to instruct the Inner Circle members to lower their weapons before speaking:
"We still have a fleet in orbit. Reclaiming this planet will not be difficult, but we require data and intelligence on this world to take our next steps."
"What do you wish to know? Fine, you are slightly more capable of understanding logic than those silent barbarians."
The servitor's visual sensors flickered rapidly, as if receiving remote commands. A moment later, its chest panel suddenly popped open, revealing a biological hard drive with a sharp "Beep—".
"Data transmission complete. Note that my Guard Militant are defending this city, which is my personal property."
The Magos's voice was brimming with the typical arrogance of the Mechanicus.
"Until these accursed enemies are annihilated and my mineral veins are reclaimed, I will not agree to any of your demands."
The transmission cut off abruptly, leaving only an uncomfortable static echo reverberating through the chamber.
Ezekiel couldn't help but feel infuriated. Had this Magos choked on gunpowder or developed a promethium allergy? He was as unreasonable as a shrieking harpy.
Noticing the scene, Tyberos simply shrugged indifferently.
He was the one who had forcefully crammed the refugees inside, and he had been the one to coerce the Magos into providing them with food.
There was no helping it; it was a matter of his KPI.
Saving one more civilian meant receiving an extra supply cache of equipment from the Wings of Dawn. Even if they didn't need it right away, hoarding it wouldn't hurt. At any rate, he no longer needed to bow to the Mechanicus. If he offended them, so be it.
"The Devouring Sharks and the Mantis Warriors will escort the refugees and evacuate."
He dropped those words and prepared to leave.
Ezekiel gave a silent nod, reviewing the forge city's combat logs alongside Nakir.
Suddenly—
"Wait, Chapter Master Tyberos."
The abrupt voice halted the giant in his tracks.
Tyberos turned his head back, the lightning claws beneath his gauntlets humming in readiness.
"The Consecrators still require your assistance."
Restraining Nakir, who was about to lash out, Ezekiel spoke up.
"The Devouring Sharks need to evacuate the refugees."
Glancing sideways at Nakir's slight movements, Tyberos replied.
"By Lord Romulus's orders, the reclamation of this planet is your responsibility."
A plume of white mist vented from Tyberos's breathing grille.
"We will not interfere."
A tense silence settled between the two sides.
The surrounding Sharks seemed to catch the scent of blood, crowding forward.
After a long pause, having calculated the combat strength of both forces, Ezekiel compromised.
"Very well, I will communicate this to Lord Romulus."
"Good."
Tyberos indifferently tossed out a single word before striding away with his shiver of Sharks, leaving only the shrieking hiss of the closing bulkhead's hydraulics echoing down the corridor for a long while.
Click.
"My lord?"
Nakir's voice carried a suppressed agitation. Ezekiel could even smell the impatience radiating from the fluctuations of his soul—
Like a beast catching the scent of blood, its sharp claws already gouging deep furrows into the ground, eager to drink the blood of traitors.
"Move the Firestorm into attack position and prepare the Purification Protocols."
Ezekiel ordered coldly:
"Target the Ansel forge city. Once the clean-up operations are concluded, you are authorized to deploy virus bombs."
"Yes, my lord."
Nakir's response came so swiftly it was as if he had been waiting for this very moment, and he quickly departed.
The surrounding Inner Circle members immediately dispersed. Their mission was crystal clear.
Lock down the orbit and ensure that not a single ship can flee this planet before Ansel is reduced to ashes.
The defenders of Ansel had engaged the Ten Thousand Eyes Warband in direct combat.
Even more unsettling was the proficiency the Devouring Sharks Chapter had displayed when dealing with these Fallen Angels. Their frighteningly precise tactical responses made it seem as though they had fought such foes a thousand times before.
Ezekiel lowered his head to gaze at the data-slate, the scrolling stream of information reflecting in his bionic eye.
There were truly no detailed records of this Chapter in his memory, but their performance...
It was far too familiar.
The Chief Librarian's fingers tightened unconsciously, causing the edges of the data-slate to creak under the immense pressure. Within the laws of the Dark Angels, some things did not require concrete proof.
Once suspicion took root, the verdict was already sealed.
Ezekiel was not fanatical about hunting the Fallen Angels, nor did he enjoy silencing people to bury secrets. He often felt guilt over it, yet for the honor of his Chapter, it had to be done.
As for the surface...
He lifted his gaze toward the dark, cloud-shrouded firmament.
It was fine. For ten millennia, the one thing the Dark Angels excelled at above all else was making certain events disappear as if they had never happened.
Even if they went through with it, the Primarch would never know they were the ones who did it.
Since he wouldn't know, by process of elimination, they weren't the ones who did it.
And if they weren't the ones who did it, then what secret was there to hide?
A thick haze descended from the sky as a frigate sank into the atmosphere under the watchful eyes of the Dawnlight fleet.
"What a pity."
Arthur said to Rameses beside him.
The two of them were fulfilling the Inner Circle's request to mount a weapon known as a Rift Cannon. It could fire a beam that blasted apart the very fabric of reality in the targeted area, tearing open a Warp rift.
Enemies standing too close to the rift would be sucked straight in, while those who avoided being pulled in would die on the spot, unable to adapt to the twisted rules clashing between reality and the Warp.
Thrum—
The hull groaned under the violent disparity in the flow of time. Its internal structure was damaged, nearly sending the steel behemoth crashing toward the surface.
Fortunately, the ancient anti-gravity arrays engaged, finally stabilizing the vessel.
Now, that massive cannon capable of tearing reality apart had locked onto its target.
"Yeah. I actually somewhat hoped they would act like decent human beings. Kai and his guys are probably ecstatic by now."
Rameses smacked his lips, beginning to lock onto the Inner Circle members he had previously marked, providing positional data for their own Dark Angels.
"You don't need the 'probably'."
Arthur gently shook his head.
"Let's just watch the show. Let me know when it's time to take down the whole Chapter."
Within their psychic vision, red markers were moving rapidly.
Rameses rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
What kind of expressions would these Inner Circle members, who believed they controlled everything, make when they realized they were the ones trapped in a jar?
He could hardly wait to find out.
——
Some things were simply destined.
Try to avoid it as you might, you just couldn't escape it.
Such was the Inner Circle of the Dark Angels.
They might be a far cry from gods, but they possessed not a single shred of humanity.
"Heh."
Aboard the Dawnlight, Romulus watched everything unfolding on the holographic projection and suddenly laughed out of pure exasperation.
'I tried reasoning with you, I tried avoiding trouble, and I gave you plenty of respect, but you really think I'm just weak, don't you?'
"Arthur!"
"Copy that."