The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Facing the enemy's unprecedentedly powerful defensive firepower, the Daemon Prince commanding the Plague Fourth Company cast his vile sorceries, causing putrid pustules to fester on the warship's decks, increasing its defenses, while ordering a full-speed charge.

If they got close enough, they could launch a deadly boarding action; a single squad would be enough to capture an enemy space station.

But this plan was quickly thwarted by a storm of fighters, fighters that even the ancient Plague Marines didn't recognize. They appeared to be half the size of the Imperium's common Fury Interceptors, with an overall triangular shape, two main engines, and wing-mounted rocket boosters. Their speed was neither too fast nor too slow, but their numbers were astonishing.

These were 'Militia' fighters, specifically designed for system defense. Their real name was Defender Interceptor. These fighters were characterized by their simplicity, low cost, and durability. Because they were used for system defense, their primary material was a lower-grade titanium alloy, making them relatively weak against impacts. Their electronic systems were also simpler compared to Imperial fighters, with only a small active radar and fire control radar. They lacked the complex calculation equipment and life support systems of typical Imperial starfighters. Even the escape system was simplified to a cockpit ejection system, and they were not capable of autonomous deployment without a command center. To save labor and materials, the thickness of the hull was also reduced, and the engine lifespan was shorter. Although this made the Defender Interceptor's survivability much worse than the Fury, it greatly reduced its cost; seven Defender Interceptors cost less than one Fury Interceptor.

Although some Tech-Priests were skeptical of these overly 'inferior' fighters, they fundamentally solved the problem of planetary defense forces and system defense fleets lacking space fighters, while also reducing costs. Although protection and survivability were sacrificed, they ensured they were at least sufficient for combat.

Moreover, these fighters were not without their unique features. For example, their wing-mounted rocket boosters were actually a device used on Mechanicus's small transport aircraft, primarily used to allow aircraft with insufficient engine power to escape a planet's gravity and enter orbit. The Defender Interceptor was the same; it was a fighter capable of operating in both the atmosphere and orbital space. However, the wing-mounted rocket boosters could also be used in orbital combat, allowing it to reach speeds comparable to or even exceeding those of typical Imperial interceptors for a short time, but use was limited to ten minutes, otherwise there would be a risk of combustion.

At the same time, its firepower was worthy of its size: 2 heavy laser cannons, 4 heavy missile launchers, and 4 light missile launchers, sufficient to meet most naval warfare needs.

Due to the relatively simple structure of the Defender fighter, Ulanhuda simply established 3 production plants in the Nason System: 2 on Nason IV and 1 on Nason V. In just six years, nearly 160,000 Defender fighters were manufactured, and these Defender fighters formed the core force of Nason System's near-earth orbital defense.

The Fourteenth Legion was clearly unaware of this. When over 20,000 Defender fighters appeared near the Plague Fourth Company's fleet, even the Daemon Prince was shocked. For the Fourteenth Legion, who deeply believed in the theory of giant ships and cannons, encountering fighters in the past was almost like seeing flies; they didn't care at all.

But when insignificant things reached a certain quantity, these Plague Marines, whose minds and bodies were stuck in the past, finally realized that perhaps some things were not as simple as they thought.

"There is only one ship! Grand Threat, Abomination, lead the fleet from the right to entangle with that Gloriana-class Battleship, Pox, block those small ships, slowly crush them, you filthy followers... I will personally carve open the flagship of that damned legion and take it for myself. When slow despair flows from the rotting entrails of this Gloriana Queen, Father Nurgle will smile. With their warship, I will shower them with the sweetest plagues and pestilence, corrode them, wither them, release true despair!"

Receiving the order, the Plague Fleet spread out in a steady line, like a large hand enveloping the Avissta, while various lances of light and shells rained down, striking the Avissta's mysterious shield, but it displayed a state completely different from a void shield. Those energy and physical attacks seemed to simply disappear, but made the Avissta's spires and weapons shine even brighter.

"Master, no psychic signals detected. The enemy is not using a void shield, but... the energy of the attacks is disappearing."

"Hmm, the Obliterated Legion, what have they been researching?"

Typhus already knew about the Eleventh Legion from some channels, but his information was too scarce.

"But the overall style of the ship is somewhat similar to the Necrons. We must be careful. Those soulless machines have very powerful weapons."

Before he could finish speaking, the entire bridge suddenly dimmed, and then the tendrils and spore cysts that had grown on the bridge withered, and even Typhus felt a sharp blade cut across his skin.

"What's going on!"

"Master! An unknown energy burst from the enemy ship! Equipment malfunction! Emergency reboot in progress!"

"Damn it!"

Typhus was shocked and then saw the Avissta begin to accelerate, while the huge plasma cannons on its broadside began to roar.

Without shield protection, the Plague Hulk Grand Threat was instantly hit hard. The plasma explosions melted and tore open the tough armor, followed by dazzling lightning that directly tore apart the keel. In just seven or eight seconds, a giant warship was severely damaged.

After slaughtering the Grand Threat, the Avissta swept past the outside of the Plague Fleet, which was recovering from paralysis. The particle whips swept through the crowded ship group like a scythe, annihilating one small ship after another. When the bridge of the Terminus came back online, fifteen ships had already been destroyed by the enemy. This efficiency made Typhus, who had forgotten what sweating felt like, break into a cold sweat.

"Cursed cowards! Using xenos weapons! Destroy it!"

He was somewhat enraged at this point, intending to order the Terminus to rush towards the enemy regardless of the cost, as did the entire fleet, but he overlooked one thing.

"Master! A large number of ships have appeared behind us!"

"Huh!?"

Typhus looked at the tactical display and found that at least a hundred signals had appeared behind the fleet at some point. Only then did he realize that the enemy's sudden paralysis of the entire fleet's equipment was not to attack, but to provide time for this encirclement.

Although the system defense fleets were all small ships, they were still warships, and each ship had at least a few ship cannons. Moreover, to enhance the firepower of the defense fleet, many of them were converted into torpedo boats. These torpedo assault boats had almost no decent firepower, but each carried at least four armor-piercing torpedoes, and launching them was their only mission.