The total war with the Rangdan had entered its fifth year. Through the Kalium Gate, Shadows of Order launched all-around counterattacks against the xenos.
The First Chapter had left the Imperium's borders, pushing deep into star systems enslaved by the xenos for millennia, the Fellwatch Keep.
Aboard the troop ship, Light of Elysia.
The voice from the loudspeaker echoed across every deck.
"I'm Toby, from the Bandak family."
"You might not know me personally, but you're certainly familiar with my family. Together, we've defeated countless pirates, both human and xenos."
"After a careful analysis of the tactical situation, the Arbiter Lord has issued the order. The best way to eliminate the xenos threat is to launch a full-scale assault on Fellwatch Keep."
Toby's tone was passionate and stirring, his microphone transmitting his fighting spirit to all the people of Elysia.
"This is the first major campaign for the Elysian Drop Troops. Be ready."
"Charge your grav-chutes. Check your lasguns. Make sure you're prepared to win glory."
As cheers of "For Elysia!" rang out, Toby switched communication channels amidst a brief burst of static.
His voice sounded in each briefing room. "Specific orders will be relayed to you immediately."
"Inspect your Valkyrie transports, your Taurus assault vehicles, and your Blyek battle tanks."
"Know this: even the Kyno Thousand-strong Cohort, units born in the Unification Wars era with long histories in the 'Solar Auxilia,' haven't received supplies like these."
Based on the supply agreements between the Lord and Mars, the Elysian Drop Troops received supplies far exceeding their nominal entitlement.
Valkyrie transports, born on Mars, and the Taurus fast assault vehicles, inspired by the Squats' Centaur all-terrain vehicles, were supplied to the Elysian Drop Troops.
After encouraging his men, Toby ended the communication and reviewed the received reports.
The Ramillies-class starfort, Deep Guard, had already routed the xenos drone swarms.
The Arbiter Lord, leading his Honor Guard, had launched a boarding action against the xenos' bizarre disc-shaped ship.
As a senior commander, Toby had the authority to access relevant intelligence on the Slaugth. He knew that the ship was unique to this xenos race.
After reviewing the overall system-wide battle, Toby focused on his own mission objective.
The orbital bombardment was in its final stages, meaning the timing for the Elysian Drop Troops to launch their assault had arrived.
Based on their mobile deployment role, they were usually the first armed forces deployed.
Had it not been for the Slaugth's evil and immense power, that ship would have been their mission too.
"Battle stations!"
As the signal lights turned green, Valkyrie gunship after Valkyrie gunship launched from the hangars of the five troop ships.
Toby sat in his Taurus command vehicle, issuing orders on the command channel to the First through Fifth Regiments of Elysia.
"Our drop zone contains the most regular gravity well in this system."
"Therefore, all soldiers must open their grav-chutes below one hundred meters."
"I don't want any soldier drifting in the air, becoming a sitting duck for the xenos. Ensure your landings are precise to the centimeter, and you'll have the honor of being the first to set foot on this planet."
Ten thousand five hundred veterans methodically checked their equipment.
Tech-adepts operated the primary cogitators, setting the altitude for the Voss-pattern grav-chutes.
Voss, renowned for grav-backpack technology, originally supplied its perpetually undersupplied equipment exclusively to the Astartes Legions. However, based on agreements, the Elysian Drop Troops had received grav-chutes specifically developed for them, and five regiments were now equipped.
The ramps opened. Sergeants barked orders at their men.
The Elysian Drop Troops filed out. Gale-force winds, mixed with metallic debris, buffeted their bodies.
Sporadic anti-air fire flashed. A dozen airborne troopers were charred black in the beams.
The veterans didn't panic. Unlike the new recruits enlisted after they were named the Elysian Drop Troops, these men had fought on the front lines against pirates long before the Arbiter Lord ever set foot on Elysia.
They calmly watched the numbers on their altimeters rapidly decrease.
The first lucky Elysian Drop Troops trooper saw a prompt rune light up in his helmet. The pre-set activation program initiated automatically.
A dazzling blue beam screamed from behind him. He shouted into his comms: "Death from above!"
In the stable airflow, he calmly raised his Necromunda-pattern assault lasgun.
The lack of sights didn't hinder the veteran's battle-hardened marksmanship.
Elysian Drop Troops often fought with limited supplies after drops. Every one of them was a battle-hardened marksman.
The veterans even more so. His grav-chute also facilitated his marksmanship.
Las-fire screamed, striking the enslaved xenos slaves, tearing through their pale, sun-deprived flesh.
Hailing down like hail, the Elysian Drop Troops completed four precise volleys from the air, clearing the landing zone.
The Voss II-pattern grav-chutes disengaged. The Taurus command vehicle landed smoothly.
Toby's command vehicle carried fewer supplies, replaced by a powerful long-range vox-caster, a powerful vehicle-mounted auspex, and a hololithic tactical system. He quickly reviewed the tactical display and nodded with satisfaction.
His five regiments achieved a deployment rate of 93.6%. Only one Taurus assault vehicle and two Blyek battle tanks were lost.
Toby opened the comms. "Confirmed assault target: Sector D-1, the xenos laboratory."
"External features: Silver-white, circular..."
"Attack!"
The Elysian Drop Troops immediately formed assault lines around the armored vehicles and launched their attack.
As they ran, they poured dense las-fire into the xenos lines.
Raining beams struck the xenos formations. Enemy ranks fell row by row.
The Tauri raced across the pockmarked metal surface. Toby checked the clear images from his vehicle's auspex. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
He raised his hand, marking a high ground position, simultaneously switching comm channels.
"First Regiment, First Company. Take that marked high ground."
After checking the tactical map, the communications officer relayed the commander's order on the company channel.
"Two o'clock direction, five hundred forty meters."
"Four hundred ninety meters out, engage jump mode."
"Altitude limit: one hundred thirty-six meters."
Order's Shadow Techmarines had combat-modified the Company members' grav-chutes, giving them some of the performance of jump packs.
The company's four Blyek battle tanks spun rapidly.
Treads ground against the metal surface, throwing up showers of sparks.
Beams from bunkers struck the armored hulls.
Drivers spun the wheel violently. The tanks lurched.
Gunners, drenched in sweat, rapidly aimed the battle cannons at the bunkers.
The cannon's water-cooling jacket provided buffering, and gyroscopic stabilizers ensured precise targeting.
Shells screamed towards the bunkers. With deafening explosions, the bunkers at the mountain's base were blown into the air.
The assault troops reversed direction. As they ran, they skillfully manually adjusted their Voss I-pattern assault grav-chutes.
"25th Squad, altitude twenty-five meters, first-level platform."
"First Squad, one hundred thirty-six meters, summit."
Following the Company Captain's orders, the assault troops adjusted their control panels, softly blessing the machine-spirits.
Blue flames flared. Like frogs, the assault troops leaped, one squad after another.
The 25th Squad leaped onto a defensive platform. The breacher squad rapidly advanced on a bunker.
A breacher's throat was pierced. A fist-sized wound gouted black smoke.
The breacher slammed his satchel charge onto the bunker, avenging his comrade with the soaring debris.
Squad after squad leaped, rapidly advancing and securing the entire high ground.
The First Squad, reaching the summit, immediately established defensive positions.
From their height, they provided fire support to the battlefield below.
Snipers raised their scopes and fired the first beams at the silver-white laboratory.
A beam precisely struck a xenos on the laboratory balcony. Its body slid off, crashing heavily to the ground.
Just as a sniper prepared for a second shot, a flash of pale, fungus-like flesh crossed his scope.
"What the hell is that!"
He pulled the trigger as he looked over.
It was a bizarre construct, an ovoid mass covered in purple veins and a metal mesh.
The beam struck true, but the construct didn't fall.
A piercing shriek. Beams of green light rained down on the summit.
"Aaaaaah!"
The agonizing pain of necrotic beams dissolving flesh made the hardened veterans cry out.
Receiving the report, Toby stared at the image of the construct, his eyes wide.
"Damn! The Slaugth isn't on the ship. How did it get to the surface?"
....
Forge Steel Keep -> Fellwatch Keep
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu