Three months after Howard Fender landed on Drune, he stood in the command center, listening to a Librarian's report.
"Arbiter Lord, it has been confirmed that the Karchin hive is one of the central psychic nodes of the Enslavers."
"Once this node is destroyed, other subordinate psychic nodes in the adjacent areas will be disconnected from the Enslaver network, causing a psychic attenuation effect."
"We will achieve a breakthrough in one-tenth of Drune's territory, significantly shortening the war."
Howard nodded. "Target Karchin. Move out."
When Howard arrived at the eastern side of Karchin hive, the tactical display in his Vostroya-pattern Rhino command vehicle was filled with dense white wolf-head runes. He knew the Luna Wolves were attacking this node.
He looked at the hololithic display. The exhaust trails of diving aircraft were blinding. Missiles from their undercarriages Rehnd down.
The first missile detonated near the midpoint of Karchin's gleaming white spires. The second detonated a centimeter lower.
The massive explosion's flames lowered the defensive field.
Howard knew the defensive field was maintained by the Enslavers' psychic puppets.
Since being enslaved, they had become portals, food, and puppets, and their connection to the Warp had also strengthened.
The Black Emperor described it thus: "Before, they were pumps. Now, they are part of the Great Ocean itself."
Though many psykers rivaled Legion Librarians, and some powerful individuals were even stronger, Howard believed no one would envy these puppets.
His fingers moved rapidly across the screen, checking communication logs, confirming he hadn't missed any messages.
Karchin was not a target of the Luna Wolves. It hadn't been marked until now.
And he had sent a brief, broad operational plan to the Luna Wolves and Death Guard an hour ago.
Howard frowned slightly. The Luna Wolves attacking his target suddenly warranted consideration.
He asked his adjutant: "Have you confirmed the company identification codes?"
"My Lord, the 1st Company..." Before the adjutant could finish, Howard's helmet comm buzzed.
"My Lord, Ezekyle Abaddon is requesting communication."
'Abaddon. First Captain.' Howard repeated the name. "Connect."
"Fender," Abaddon's voice was powerful. "My company happened to pass by. Let's have a competition: who can secure the main node first."
"I'll tell you, my Cthonian Headhunters have already breached the city."
Hearing Abaddon's explanation for his sudden appearance, yet not hiding the Astartes' natural combativeness,
his words held a hidden edge. The 1st Captain of the Luna Wolves was challenging the 1st Chapter Master of Shadows of Order.
Just as the Legions' achievements were often compared, he and Abaddon were a topic of heated discussion.
Especially after he, along with the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Chapters, had led the counter-offensive in the Coronid Deeps and beyond the northeastern galaxy during the Rangdan War.
"I accept." Howard ended the communication. He switched to the Chapter's comm channel.
"Abaddon, 1st Captain of the Luna Wolves, has issued a speed challenge."
"I have accepted."
"Techmarines, deploy the blackstone device. I want the psychic shield breached in three minutes."
"As you command, my Lord." The Techmarines replied.
To the right of the Vostroya-pattern Rhino command vehicle, a black vehicle moved slowly forward.
It was built on the chassis of a Land Raider, the most versatile platform.
A 3.3-meter-long, 1.1-meter-wide, 2.4-meter-high black column was constructed from blackstone mined on Vigilus.
It also had two smaller black pillars, like antennas.
After several experimental deployments, the blackstone device had been improve for miniaturization, practicality, mobility, and control.
Five Techmarines stood on the left, right, and rear. Their servo-arms moved rapidly.
After two minutes and thirty seconds, runes, a mixture of Necron and human script, lit up one by one.
All Librarians within 1.5 kilometers immediately moved away.
Howard watched the image on the aetheric detector. As the blackstone device advanced, the psychic barrier receded like a tide.
"Breach!"
As the Sicaran Arcus, built by Osiris, began their bombardment, "Cthonia, Cthonia..."
Abaddon roared. He suddenly lost contact with his Cthonian Headhunter squads. A shadow of foreboding crossed his mind.
The battle-hardened Cthonians, always serving as assault units, leading every charge, winning countless victories, could they be controlled by those tentacled monsters?
Abaddon refused to believe it. It must be communications interference.
He pinpointed the location where the Cthonians had lost contact. It was likely very close to the node.
"Forward."
Abaddon, in Terminator armor, was as agile as any Luna Wolf in power armor.
His blade was both raging and skillful.
He raised his arm, using his vambrace to block a blast of flame.
The psychic flames didn't slow him. They only made him more frenzied.
He reached the psyker in an instant, his blade reducing him to a bloody mist.
Once Abaddon committed to a charge, he became a battering ram, clearing a path.
He strode through psychic lightning, charging through flames.
His roaring blade flashed. His crackling power fist roared.
As the runes on his helmet display rapidly closed, he finally found his Cthonians.
Only four remained. What chilled Abaddon more: their packs spewed exhaust, they fired at him, their chainswords roaring.
Abaddon felt an itch in his mind. "Xenos, you won't control me."
He roared at the xenos, five stories tall, with sixteen eyes, floating in the air.
His crackling power fist slammed into a Cthonian Headhunter, shattering his power armor like cardboard.
He swung his blade, cleaving chainsword and body.
Abaddon leaped onto a pristine white building, running upward faster than the psychic lightning.
In an instant, he reached the roof, charging.
Flames consumed the building. He rose through the heat, charging the xenos.
BOOM!
His battered, greyish armor struck the psychic shield. Two psykers were torn apart by the mounting force.
Twelve psykers, their bodies trembling from the surging power, slammed to the ground.
Abaddon's ascent slowed. He was caught by psychic lightning and flames.
His Terminator armor shattered. He was sent flying.
The arriving Justaerin Terminators, half rushing to their Captain, half firing at the xenos in the air, forced it to shift its attacks.
"I'm... fine..."
Abaddon shrugged off their help. Blood seeped from his eyes and mouth, but he stood tall.
He suddenly turned, looking at the black-armored figure.
The 1st Chapter Master of Shadows of Order, the Arbiter Lord, Howard Fender.
Howard's gaze swept over Abaddon, landing on the twenty-three living psykers.
The "Judge" shouted, "Cease fire!"
The "Judge's" indescribable authority made them instinctively stop.
Seizing the moment, the "Judge" raised his arm, thrust his palm forward, and shouted in Dunnic:
"This place 'Prohibit' psychic power!"
"This place 'Prohibits' Warp power!"
In the indescribably authoritative voice, the psykers collapsed.
Their connection to the Enslavers was severed.
Two points of light appeared in the "Judge's" pupils, growing from small to large, from dim to bright, like lightning splitting the sky.
Two bolts of lightning from "Mind Pierce" shot like bolts, lancing into the Enslaver's sixteen eyes.
The Enslaver contracted, then plummeted.
"I believe this belongs to me," Howard said, looking at Abaddon.
Knowing Lord Nareth's fondness for exotic creatures, Abaddon said, "Fine."
He stared at Howard for a few seconds, then turned and left.
'What did his incantation mean? Howard Fender is this strong? He dealt with that powerful xenos so easily.'
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu