The Emperor’s Angel of Death

The imposing Sterliberg defense orbital station, constructed in M38, once served as the Imperium's sentinel against the surging malice and traitors from the depths of the Maelstrom, but now it had become an accomplice. The aquila, once proudly displayed, was erased and replaced with the symbols of heresy. Its fixed gun emplacements rained down a tempest of munitions upon the Imperial fleet. With incessant flashes streaking across the void, explosions bloomed like malevolent flowers, and burning metal fragments twisted and fell. It seemed every cubic meter of space was saturated with the grime of war.

The Indomitable Truth, however, resembled a composed knight with a spear. Instead of recklessly closing in to fire, she engaged from a distance alongside the surrounding capital ships.

As a Gloriana-class battleship, her lance volleys were unparalleled in power. Even the largest void shield arrays could not withstand such terrifying energy. The lances pierced through the abyssal depths with unstoppable force, striking the orbital station's core, precisely where the void shield generators were housed. The collision of the two energies unleashed a violent shockwave, followed by a cataclysmic explosion.

Amidst the explosion and conflagration, vast amounts of debris cascaded from the orbital station's structure, some drifting into the void, others plummeting towards the planet's surface.

At this point, Zhu Fu realized their assumptions had been somewhat presumptuous. While Sowshyang might struggle with those fortress-like death worlds, the enemy, possessing absolute naval superiority, didn't need to overly concern themselves with them. The original plan of constructing a defensive system with attack groups, fortress worlds, and minefields, while not perfect, was intended to at least create enough trouble for the enemy. However, against the large number of aircraft, those small ships with an average length of no more than five hundred meters were ineffective, easily detected, and dispersed. Heavy fighters like the Starhawk bomber could still manage to obscure half a system.

Although the three habitable worlds possessed system-wide defense weapons, they were, on one hand, in disrepair, and Huron did not have enough Tech-Priests to maintain them. This meant activating them required a significant amount of time, not to mention aiming and locking onto targets. This required very precise intelligence to predict the enemy's position and fire in advance. Against a sudden attack, they were essentially useless.

In short, the Red Corsairs' plans mostly remained on paper. Fortunately, Zhu Fu was a very adaptable commander. He reasoned that the Imperium would definitely land on Sterliberg and seize it as a base to control the Cara system. Therefore, he ordered a portion of his forces to hold the world to the death, while the others evacuated as quickly as possible before the Imperium completely blockaded the planet. At the same time, the defense systems of the other two planets were activated at maximum speed, to harass the Imperial fleet.

“Prepare to land! Everyone, speed it up!”

Inside the Eternal Fidelity, Sergeant Bakhram of Tenth Company relayed the orders to the company's recruits. The warriors of the two tactical squads waited patiently, chanting prayers and listening to the deafening roar of the massive lascannons as their turrets fired at the enemy outside the ship.

While recruits in most Chapters were still wearing carapace armor, the warriors of the Astral Knights were already accustomed to their power armor. The silver-grey paint scheme stood out prominently in the dim, electric light. The warriors stood ready, the company assembled in the bay, their company markings, Chapter badges, and the Imperial Aquila on each breastplate gleaming a bright yellow in the light.

Soon, the transport lift delivered them to two assault boats. The drop pods had mostly been allocated to other companies, so Tenth Company had to make do with the assault boats. Just as each tactical squad lined up in two rows inside their respective boats and were secured by restraint straps, a sudden tremor ran through the vessel.

This indicated that the assault boats had been launched.

During this process, although the interior of the boat was silent, the exterior armor clanged and banged, the sounds of enemy micro-ordnance detonating against the metal plating, or perhaps the assault boat colliding with some small debris.

Fortunately, the Gauntlet assault boat they were riding in was arguably the most durable type of assault boat in the Imperium. Unless struck directly by a ship's cannon, most weapons could not inflict devastating damage on its thick frontal armor.

Through the single observation device, Bakhram saw the situation outside. The Imperial fleet was methodically 'dismantling' the planet's defenses. The fleet was divided into three groups: one forming a crescent shape facing the orbital facilities, firing continuously. The Gloriana-class Indomitable Truth was at the center of the crescent, a massive cathedral encased in intricately crafted turrets. Most of the defensive las-batteries were disabled during her first volley, with only a few bright beams still lancing out at the Imperial fleet from their armored bunkers.

Seeing that massive warship, Bakhram compared it in his mind to the Legion's Avesta.

Although this would lead to nothing, he still believed the Avesta would be stronger.

Another group had already moved into low orbit and begun bombarding parts of the planet's facilities. Similarly, there was some weak resistance from the planet's counter-fire.

The last group was driving off and hunting down the small ships attempting to evacuate the planet's garrison.

As time passed, the shaking of the assault boat did not diminish, but rather intensified. Bakhram immediately informed everyone that they were entering the atmosphere.

A few minutes later, with a 'whoosh,' the shaking began to subside rapidly.

As the restraint straps snapped back against the bulkheads with a crackling sound, the heavy thud of massive boots echoed against the metal floor. Then, one by one, the explosive bolts at the front of the assault group detonated, and light flooded in.

However, even from hundreds of meters away, Bakhram could still see a dazzling, frenzied Khorne icon standing in the city's fires, seemingly overlooking the entire battlefield, surrounded by mutated mortals.

They poured out of the destroyed city in droves, wielding swords, axes, or spiked clubs. Some had grown scorpion-like tails, others had faces resembling beasts or insects. Less like humans, they were more like monsters, every step and every movement radiating a violent aura.

Leading them was a group of Chaos Space Marines devoted to Khorne.

They wore scarlet armor, covered in spikes and blades, with corrupted symbols forged in brass on their helmets. Among them was also a mindless creature, almost solely focused on devouring steaming entrails. This thing should once have been a Chaos Space Marine as well, but was now deformed beyond description, hideously laughable – this was a Chaos Spawn, the most pathetic end for the fallen, whose careers ended in extreme corruption for some reason that angered their masters.