The Emperor’s Angel of Death

"What does the wolf represent in your culture?"

Hearing Soshyan's question, Veronica shook her head.

"In fact, canine creatures are not common in Aeldari culture, and there aren't many corresponding cultural symbols, but they still share some common traits: hunting, living in packs, resilience, and ferocity. What I can't understand is the Wolf with Spear. Spears also have complex meanings, possibly representing nobility, or perhaps the military, or deities, or even aggressive actions."

"The Wolf with Spear? That white giant wolf?"

"White has many meanings: leader, chief, peace, hope—too many possibilities. This omen is really too strange. It's a pity I can't contact the mentor right now. I can only discuss it with other seers later."

Saying that, she lightly kissed Soshyan's cheek.

"I'm going to take a shower and change. You go ahead and get busy."

After Veronica went into the bathroom, Soshyan returned to the table filled with reports and data-slates. During this time, he had been busy almost every moment scheduling, transmitting orders, and coordinating various units. Only today did he manage to find some time to be intimate with Veronica.

At this time, the construction of the Doom Moon was still partly unfinished. The Red Corsairs' harassment was not without effect. Several raids successfully broke through the defense of the naval small fleets and caused some damage to the asteroids under construction, but Soshyan didn't really expect this thing to have any effect, because according to the Mechanicus Magi, even with the engines currently installed, even if it really started moving, its speed would be intolerably slow.

But Huron couldn't know this. He only believed that once this thing moved, the power in his hands would be difficult to resist.

The two sides' fleets and air forces engaged in more than sixty battles of various sizes around the Doom Moon in three months, with roughly equivalent losses. Although the Imperium had a slight advantage, it still surprised Soshyan. It should be known that the Red Corsairs had not previously demonstrated strong air power. This made him even more wary of the one who was giving Huron aid, and Okham still couldn't find out the identity of that being. This was a very dangerous foreshadowing, forcing Soshyan to be reserved and consider things when making strategic deployments.

After successfully delaying the construction of the Doom Moon, Huron felt that the time for a decisive battle had come.

He made this judgment based on several points.

First, the Imperium currently has a large number of mortal troops still scattered in the Bloody Reaches and Carrion Star systems, as well as the Maelstrom Nebula and other newly occupied areas. The main force concentrated in the Kala System is the core strength of the Expeditionary Force, namely the Astartes Chapters. The actual force to be faced is smaller than in the previous two battles of Angstrom.

Second, Zhu Fu had already carried out devastating destruction in the Kala System before withdrawing. There would be no defense facilities there. If the two sides fought, the attacking side would not have too many obstacles, unlike the two times in Angstrom, where they had to consider the planetary defense facilities of the forge world, which were armed to the teeth.

Third, Huron believed that the Kala System had been basically ruined. The Imperium hoarding a large number of troops here would lead to a situation where there was no way to escape and no danger to defend if it failed, easily turning a defeat into a complete rout.

Fourth, of course, was the report from the rear that his Warp-smiths had basically mastered the method of driving the Blackstone Fortress. Now this behemoth had become Huron's trump card to crush the Imperial army.

With this reliance, Huron's appetite grew even bigger. Zhu Fu and some warlords had advised him to launch an attack in advance, before the Imperium gathered more troops and fleets, to destroy the Doom Moon first, but Huron felt that destroying the Doom Moon in advance might alert Soshyan, or even give up this decisive battle.

What he wanted was not a dragging probing, a detour, but a decisive battle in the first battle, to determine the outcome in one battle!

One victory to take back everything that was lost!

So Huron's strategic goal was very clear: to completely eliminate the main force of the Expeditionary Force in the Kala System, especially those Astartes Chapters, especially Soshyan!

Therefore, he deliberately waited, waiting for the time when the Doom Moon was largely completed, but not completely completed, waiting for Soshyan to concentrate his strength.

Of course, some preparations had to be made before the decisive battle. Huron sent a large number of mortal subordinates to those worlds recovered by the Expeditionary Force. Their purpose was to incite the people in the recovered areas to riot or resist. These people would not play a big role, but they could at least distract Soshyan and some of his troops.

In addition, he formulated detailed tactical plans. Huron summed up the experience of previous failures, believing that an important reason was that everyone was doing their own thing, without plans or ideas, only with a goal and then fighting wherever they thought of. Therefore, he held more than a dozen meetings in a few months, calling on all the senior personnel and lords in the organization to formulate detailed combat plans.

Huron's overall plan was a feint to the east and attack in the west.

Specifically, the troops were divided into three parts. One part was composed of two of the four frigates under his command, using the space derelict Savage Crucible to attack the Doom Moon. One part was led by Zhu Fu, mainly some peripheral personnel and most of the hired non-Maelstrom warbands. They would gather in the Kala System near the Bloody Reaches system, creating the illusion of a surprise attack on the planet, while Huron would bring his own team to attack the Kala System from another direction, but he concealed the key factor that he could use the Blackstone Fortress.

Zhu Fu didn't quite agree with this plan. He believed that the Imperium would definitely deploy large-scale warp probes around the Kala System, and it was impossible to approach silently. There was no preparation to create a warp storm in this place, and the range itself was very large, not a small place like Angstrom, so the entire raid plan had almost no secrecy.

Huron actually knew this. He wanted Soshyan to "see through" him. After multiple speculations and understanding of Soshyan's personal strategic style, he believed that once Soshyan determined that he would personally lead the team to raid, he would definitely lead the team to design an ambush, striving to "decapitate" him. Huron wanted to take a little risk this time, using himself as bait, to fish Soshyan out in a flawless way!

When Soshyan thought he had caught him and was about to win, the Blackstone Fortress would shatter the other party's delusions and all honor and prestige!

As long as the troops on Soshyan's side could be defeated, even if the other party escaped, Huron could take the Kala System in the process, and then join forces with the Savage Crucible to wipe out Soshyan's troops deployed on the Doom Moon, and then turn to Zhu Fu's side to eat up another main force sent by Soshyan to intercept.

If this plan could succeed, not all, but at least 70 to 80% of the main force of the Expeditionary Force would be wiped out. At that time, Huron's counterattack would be as easy as pie. He would not give Soshyan a chance to rest and recuperate, but would start from the Bloody Reaches system and rush straight to Sagon, taking down this logistics center of the Imperium in one fell swoop, and completely ending the hope of the Expeditionary Force's counterattack!

It has to be said that Huron was also a guardian of the Maelstrom, and he does have some abilities in grand strategy—

If this information hadn't reached Soshyan's hands.

Thanks to the third Emperor Guilliman and book friend 20230515174245948 for the Silver League!!