Three Stormbirds streaked across the sea of clouds at supersonic speeds. Inside the cabin, absolute silence reigned. A full fifty Blood Angels and Flesh Tearers sat upright, though their peripheral vision constantly flickered toward the very front.
The black knight stood motionless in the corner. His pitch-black power armor seed to devour all surrounding light, making him look like a silent statue.
Within the cabin, these progeny of the Angel looked upon the pitch-black knight with a mixture of fear and excitent.
Because right beside him stood Dante, who had spent the past month attending various etings for the reconstruction of Baal, now joining them in their ranks.
The Chapter Master of the Blood Angels observed their operations entirely from the perspective of a bystander. Combined with the expeditionary fleet anchored at Baal, his tactical acun, gradually recovering as the Black Rage was suppressed, fully grasped the implications of this deploynt.
An epic expedition awaited them, and Lord Karna would be accompanying them as well.
The Blood Angels still needed to oversee the reconstruction of Baal, so the entire Chapter could not be deployed. This training exercise, with Lord Dante acting as an observer, would very likely determine the roster for the upcoming expedition.
The progeny of the Angel all felt a surge of excitent, gathering their strength and preparing to put on a stellar performance.
"Where is Seth?"
Dante asked tentatively.
Arthur replied,
"Seth has already proven himself as a commander and has no need to participate in the selection. He said he wished to repent, so I sent him to the newly built Sanguinius Sanctum. Hopefully, prayer will bring peace to his heart."
"...Thank you for the response."
Dante clearly had not expected this seemingly aloof knight to provide such a detailed explanation. He paused for a mont before the words finally slipped past his lips.
"It is only proper."
Arthur nodded, then turned his gaze toward the fully ard Destroyer Squad.
This was entirely different from the Dreadwing equipnt they had initially used on Pierre.
Following Dantioch's arrival, the Transmigrators, now possessing the necessary chanical modification capabilities, used the Mark X power armor—developed in the future by Archmagos Cawl for the Primaris Space Marines—as a prototype. While retaining its modular functionality, they implented upgrades that only Transmigrators could afford to maintain.
The armor worn by the Destroyer forces was heavily inspired by the Mark X Gravis heavy power armor. Because it utilized the power system of the Armor of Fate and could support external power packs, its output was incredibly exaggerated. As a result, the Transmigrators simply inserted adamantium plating into every vital area.
'It is only because of those academic oligarchs in the Adeptus chanicus that we cannot mass-produce this right now.'
Arthur furrowed his brow.
For the Transmigrators, this type of power armor was rely icing on the cake, and to so extent, it even restricted their movents. But for the other Space Marines, it effectively gave them a second life.
Unfortunately, the Transmigrators did not yet possess the strength to clash head-on with the Adeptus chanicus. In the short term, they could only distribute this armor in secret.
Arthur's eyes lingered on a folder nad "Icarus Protocol" within the Transmigrator communication interface.
Once the opportunity arose, he was definitely going to deal with those parasites in the chanicus.
'Moreover, the data processing capabilities are not even on the sa level.'
Seeing Dante fall silent once more, Arthur finished his brief train of thought and glanced aside as a projection flickered to life on the inside of his helt.
When Cawl first designed the Armor of Fate, he must have factored in Guilliman's supre cognitive ability to govern dozens of Hive Cities simultaneously. Thus, the built-in computing system was exceptionally advanced.
After being modified and streamlined by Dantioch, it completely replaced the bulky auspex, serving as an auxiliary fire control system for every Space Marine. Furthermore, the projected tactical map was far more intuitive.
[Xenos Planet - Awatoshka]
A global map of the planet materialized. The Stormbirds were currently crossing a massive gaseous ocean. Their destination was clearly marked. Due to their frequent deploynts recently, quite a few areas on the map had already been tagged.
Those were all completely annihilated xenos ruins.
The Segntum Ultima was teeming with xenos. Compared to Macragge, which was frequently harassed by Greenskins and Aeldari, the Baal sector was plagued by a much wider variety of bizarre monsters and demons.
You never knew if an unclassified planet you were passing by would suddenly spawn so entirely unknown breed of xenos.
Just like right now.
[Raid the xenos outpost, destroy their physical bodies in the material universe, and then completely obliterate the physical structures suspended over the surface of the gas giant.]
Arthur's gaze shifted slightly as the battle plan was projected. This star system, located less than three light-years from Baal, had been unknowingly occupied by a species of xenos that lived on gas giants. They were impossible to communicate with, possessed unknown technology, could not be permanently killed, and actively plundered Imperial rchant ships to construct their physical buildings.
The xenos in the northern reaches of the Segntum Ultima were all like this.
Their origins were unknown, their technology was unknown, their culture was unknown, and their thod of warp travel was unknown.
Yet they were absolutely everywhere.
Several crimson lines appeared on the map, indicating the predetermined assault routes. These xenos were not particularly strong in frontal combat—at the very least, they could not stand toe-to-toe with Space Marines—making them the perfect target practice.
[Outpost region confird. Initiating orbital drop strike. Three minutes to deploynt.]
A prompt chid over the comms. Colorful silhouettes began to erge amidst the endless expanse of blue gaseous clouds.
Whoosh!
Several lances struck from above, overloading the energy shields forged by their unknown technology. The Stormbirds plunged directly through the newly ford rifts.
Clack—
The hatch opened. Arthur raised his hand and signaled a tactical gesture. The Destroyers closest to the ramp reacted instantly, leaping right into the atmosphere. The thruster units mounted on their backs began to vent fuel, allowing the squad of warriors, who had spread out into a combat formation, to descend at a relatively safe velocity.
Rumble!
The mont the Space Marines crossed a specific threshold, the previously dead-silent silicified jungle instantly began to seethe.
Much like an immune system violently rejecting invading bacteria, this suspended landmass began to attack entirely on its own, without requiring any central command.
[Atmospheric helium concentration exceeds 70%. The remainder is composed of highly toxic gases. Unfit for human survival.]
[tallic substances are silicified. Unknown crystals are obstructing sensor sweeps.]
Arthur stared down below and watched as countless sections of the ground shattered apart. Crystallized humanoid organisms tore themselves free from the earth with silent, furious roars.
These silicon-based lifeforms rarely moved. Their internal communication relied on so kind of light signal coursing through their bodies. Under normal circumstances, they remained linked together in a massive lump, much like a Calculation Array.
The sheer number of xenos was staggering. Looking down from the sky, nearly a hundred million entities were swarming inward, interspersed with various mutated or gigantic specins.
However, those arriving were by no ans ordinary n.
A portable lta cannon was deployed, operated jointly by two warriors. Dante looked on with a trace of curiosity as a beam of intense light flashed out, rendering the very sun in the sky dull by comparison.
The crimson beam surged forward. Over a dozen converging lt Streams instantly completely severed the xenos' charge. Even the thirty-foot-tall Titan-class units were pierced straight through, their carapaces—which were capable of absorbing lance strikes—lted to leave gaping craters.
The superheated jets carved through the silicified jungle like a hot knife through butter. Just as the xenos trampled over the corpses of their kin to advance, several drill-like devices were driven into the ground, and the Destroyer Squad promptly activated them.
Boom—
A muffled detonation caused the entire surface of the landing zone to collapse at an alarming rate, exposing the massive, honeycomb-like interior of the structures beneath.
...
Dante glanced at Arthur, only to suddenly realize that the two of them had unknowingly arrived right in the middle of the formation.
"?"
This caused Dante to shoot Arthur a look of uncontrollable astonishnt.
It wasn't that he had never experienced a Librarian's psychic teleportation before. Truth be told, that thod was far more stable than the terrifyingly mystical teleportation technology standard to the Imperium.
...
Arthur threw Dante a passing glance, having no intention of explaining his abilities.
He could actively adjust his level of isolation from this world, altering his position in the material universe to achieve short-range teleportation. He had discovered this trick back when he was slaughtering Slaaneshi demons.
"Advance in formation. Maintain distance. Prioritize destroying the defensive nodes."
The Destroyer Squad moved swiftly. Bolstered by their modular designs, their power armor demonstrated extre adaptability. Every warrior's backpack was equipped with detachable heavy weapon modules.
Following Arthur's command, the warriors seamlessly switched weapon modes. By simply reaching back, they could rapidly swap out their wargear with the system's assistance, behaving exactly like precision-tuned machines of war.
"Squad, advance slowly."
Arthur relayed tactical instructions to each warrior in as much detail as possible. He fully believed that even without him, these battle-hardened Adeptus Astartes could successfully complete this xenos extermination mission.
However, the current objective was to force these warriors to adapt to their new gear and entirely new combat doctrines during this low-intensity skirmish, ensuring they could fulfill their true potential when facing the genuine enemies of the Emperor in the future.
He would pour all his patience into these warriors, each possessing a different aptitude for learning, and he hoped they too would possess the patience to learn.
"Left defensive node, marked."
A warrior's voice rang out over the channel, and the target's location was clearly highlighted on his helt's visor projection.
"Copy that."
Two warriors swiftly broke off from the formation. The plasma cannon modules mounted on their right arms began to charge, pooling with blue energy at the muzzles and emitting a low, resonant hum.
Boom!
Two searing plasma beams tore through the air, accurately striking the left defensive node. The xenos' energy shield instantly collapsed under the imnse heat, lting a massive hole straight through the structure's surface.
"Right defensive node, marked."
Another warrior's voice imdiately followed.
"Switching to bolter mode. Suppressive fire."
The weapon modules on the warriors' right arms swapped out once again. The deafening roar of heavy bolters instantly echoed across the battlefield. A dense volley of heavy bolter rounds rained down, completely obliterating the right defensive node. The xenos structure teetered amid the explosions, sending crystalline shrapnel flying in all directions.
When battered by different weapons, these xenos would rapidly evolve targeted defensive crystal structures to counter specific types of attacks. Thus, they were the absolute perfect test subjects for the modular equipnt of the modified Mark X power armor.
"Core sector. Breach."
Arthur monitored the movents of every fireteam, his voice remaining dead calm.
The Destroyer Squad rapidly converged, cycling the weapon modules on their right arms once more. This ti, they switched to close-combat power fists and chainswords. Like a crimson tide, the warriors charged headlong into the core sector of the xenos outpost.
Inside the core sector, the physical xenos structures ford a convoluted, maze-like layout.
But another contingent of warriors, clad in Phobos-pattern power armor, capitalized on their unique strengths. Relying on the high mobility granted by their camo cloaks and lightweight plating, they darted through the labyrinth. Their helt-integrated tactical projections updated the map in real-ti, sharing the data with their battle-brothers during every back-and-forth skirmish.
"Forward corridor. Gigantic specin detected."
A warrior reported over the vox.
"Switching to plasma incinerators. Clearing the corridor."
Two warriors swiftly pushed to the front, their right-arm modules transitioning to plasma incinerators.
Torrents of blinding-hot plasma spewed from the muzzles, slamming into the behemoth's body. Yet, it only managed to penetrate about three feet into its flesh before becoming completely useless against the creature's rapidly shifting crystal structures.
Lurking in the shadows, Arthur violently yanked back the fireteam, who, still unaccustod to seamlessly swapping weapons, had instinctively opted for a lee charge.
However, before the titanic unit could resu its charge, the infiltrators in their Phobos-pattern armor had already closed the distance.
Bang!
A Mark III Shrike-pattern bolt sniper rifle rapidly locked onto the beast's core. Its heavy muzzle brake spewed fire as a heavy bolter round punched cleanly through the creature—core and all—in the split second before it could adapt its crystalline defense.
"Core control room, marked."
Arthur's voice chid in once more.
"Copy that."
The warriors responded in unison.
The core control room was located in the deepest depths of the complex, guarded by a thick layer of crystalline shielding. Arthur raised a hand and gestured. His right arm's heavy weapon module shifted into a lta cannon, and a scorching beam erupted from the muzzle, instantly lting a massive breach through the barrier.
"Breach."
At his command, the warriors rapidly stord the control room.
Inside, the xenos' core device was humming to life, radiating an eerie energy signature. Without a mont's hesitation, the Space Marines cycled their weapon modules again, this ti arming high-yield explosive charges.
"Plant the charges. All personnel, evacuate."
Arthur calmly issued his final order.
The warriors moved with practiced speed, planting the explosives around the core device before hastily falling back. Arthur and Dante stood at the threshold of the control room, staring coldly at the humming chanism, as if presiding over its final judgnt.
"Detonate."
His voice transmitted over the tactical vox, reaching the ears of every single warrior.
Boom!
A deafening explosion shook the air. The core device of the xenos outpost completely disintegrated under the extre heat and the ensuing shockwave. Accompanied by a colossal, soul-piercing wail, shards of crystal and tallic shrapnel were blasted in every direction. The surrounding enemies swarming their position collapsed, one after another.
[Mission Accomplished.]
The prompt swiftly flashed across everyone's ocular displays.
"Return to base."
The brief, authoritative command rang out once more, drawing this war of extermination to a perfect close.
The Destroyer Squad rapidly regrouped, seamlessly swapping their right-arm weapon modules back to their default modes, ready to board the Stormbirds that had already completed their docking sequence.
...
Aboard the Dawn, the Dominus Archmagos of Mars, Belisarius Cawl, was currently watching this combat recording alongside Romulus.
The hand gripping his chanical staff tightened, relaxed, and then tightened once more.
Mark X Gravis heavy power armor, Phobos-pattern light power armor, Mark II Cawl-pattern bolt rifles, Mark III Shrike-pattern bolt sniper rifles, Mark III Cawl-pattern plasma incinerators, man-portable earthshaker weapons, modular lta cannons.
Destroyer Squad, my ass! This was nothing but the mass deploynt of Primaris Space Marines masquerading as a Destroyer Squad!
Staring at one familiar piece of technology after another, the Archmagos began to roar internally.
'These are all my technologies!'
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