Chapter 118: Cawl: This is All My Stuff
Three Stormbirds streaked across the sea of clouds at supersonic speeds. Inside the troop bays, there was a profound silence. Fifty fully armed Blood Angels and Flesh Tearers sat ramrod straight, their peripheral vision constantly glancing towards the front of the cabin.
A black knight stood motionless in the corner, his ebon power armor seeming to swallow all the surrounding light, like a silent statue.
And in the cabin, these sons of the Angel looked at the black knight with a mixture of fear and excitement. Because beside him, Dante, who had been attending various meetings for the reconstruction of Baal for the past month, was also among them. The Chapter Master of the Blood Angels was observing their operation as a spectator. Combined with the crusade fleet still stationed at Baal, his intelligence, which had been gradually returning after the suppression of the Black Rage, also understood the meaning behind this.
A super-cool crusade was waiting for them, and Lord Karna would be with them. The Blood Angels still had to preside over the reconstruction of Baal, so the entire Chapter could not be mobilized. And this time, with Lord Dante as an observer, this training exercise would likely decide who would be selected for the crusade.
The sons of the Angel all felt a surge of excitement, mustering their strength to put on a good show.
"Where is Seth?" Dante asked tentatively.
Arthur replied, "Seth has already proven himself as a commander. He does not need to participate in the selection. He said he needed to atone, so I sent him to the newly built Sanctum of Sanguinius. Prayer may bring peace to his heart."
"...Thank you for your response," Dante said. He clearly hadn't expected this seemingly cold knight to be so detailed in his description. The words paused for a moment before they left his throat.
"As it should be." Arthur nodded, then looked at the fully armed Destroyer squad.
Unlike the Dreadwing equipment they had used on Pierdra... after Dantioch had joined them, the transmigrators, now possessing mechanical modification capabilities, had used the Mark X power armor, which Archmagos Cawl would one day research for the Primaris Space Marines, as a prototype for their own modifications. They had retained its modular functionality while performing upgrades that only the transmigrators could afford.
The armor of the Destroyer squads was based on the Mark X Gravis heavy power armor. Because it used the power system of the Armor of Fate, it could also be fitted with an external power pack, so its power output was absurdly high. The transmigrators had simply added adamantium plating to various important parts.
'The only problem is the academic cliques in the Adeptus Mechanicus. We can't promote it for now,' Arthur thought with a frown.
This kind of power armor was just icing on the cake for the transmigrators; to a certain extent, it even restricted his movement. But for other Space Marines, it was the equivalent of an extra life. Unfortunately, the transmigrators' strength had not yet reached the point where they could go head-to-head with the Adeptus Mechanicus. This kind of armor could probably only be secretly promoted in the short term.
Arthur's gaze fell on a folder in the transmigrator communication panel named "Project Icarus."
When we have the chance, we must deal with those vermin in the Adeptus Mechanicus.
'And the data processing capabilities are not on the same level.'
Seeing Dante fall silent again, Arthur, having completed his brief train of thought, glanced at the projection that had appeared inside his helmet.
When Cawl had first designed the Armor of Fate, he must have considered Guilliman's super-computational ability, which could govern dozens of hive cities simultaneously. The built-in computational system was also excellent. After being modified and simplified by Dantioch, it could completely replace the cumbersome auspex and serve as an auxiliary fire control system for every Space Marine. And the projected tactical map was much more intuitive.
[Xenos Planet - Avatoska]
A world map of a planet appeared. The Stormbird was crossing a gaseous ocean. The destination was already marked. Due to their frequent sorties recently, there were already many marked areas on the map. Those were all completely destroyed xenos ruins.
The Ultima Segmentum was rich in xenos. And compared to Macragge, which was frequently harassed by Orks and Eldar, the Baal region had a greater variety of strange and monstrous creatures. You never knew if a passing, unknown type of planet would grow an unknown type of xenos.
Just like now.
[Assault the xenos outpost. Destroy their physical bodies in the material universe, and then completely destroy the physical structures floating on the surface of the gas giant.]
Arthur's eyes flickered, and the battle plan was projected. This star system, less than three light-years from Baal, had been unknowingly occupied by a species of xenos that lived on a gas giant, could not be communicated with, possessed unknown technology, could not be completely killed, and would raid Imperial merchant ships to build their physical structures.
The xenos in the galactic north of the Ultima Segmentum were all like this. Unknown origin, unknown technology, unknown culture, unknown method of space travel. And they were everywhere.
Several crimson lines appeared. This was the predetermined combat route. These xenos were not strong in a frontal engagement, at least not against Space Marines. They were the best material for training.
[Outpost area confirmed. Initiating drop-strike. Three minutes to prepare.]
A notification came through the comms. In the endless blue gas clouds, a colored silhouette had appeared.
WHOOSH!
Several lances of light fell from the sky, overloading the energy shield forged from unknown technology. The Stormbird plunged through the breach.
K-CHUNK—
The ramp opened. Arthur raised his hand and gave a tactical signal. The Destroyers near the cabin reacted instantly, leaping directly into the atmosphere. The thrusters on their backs began to fire, allowing the squad, which had spread out into a combat formation, to descend at a relatively safe speed.
CLATTER!
As the Space Marines entered a certain threshold area, the previously silent petrified forest suddenly came to life. Like bacteria entering a human body and triggering an immune response, the floating landmass began to attack on its own, without any command.
[Atmospheric helium content exceeds 70%. Remainder is toxic gas. Unsuitable for human life.]
[Metallic matter petrified. Unknown crystals are blocking sensors.]
Arthur looked down and saw countless sections of the ground shatter. Crystalline humanoid organisms tore themselves from the earth with a silent roar. These silicon-crystal lifeforms did not move often. Their internal communication was carried out by a kind of light signal that flowed through their bodies. Under normal circumstances, they were just like a computation array, pieced together into a single mass.
The number of xenos was absurd. Looking down from the sky, there were nearly a hundred million individuals swarming towards them, with a few mutated or giant individuals mixed in.
But the ones who had come were no ordinary men.
The portable multi-meltas were deployed, operated by two warriors. Dante looked on with curiosity. A beam of intense light made the sun in the sky seem dim. The crimson stream of melta-fire tore through the battlefield, a dozen streams of molten energy intertwining to instantly cut off the xenos' charge. The ten-meter-tall Titan-class units were also pierced, a large hole melted in their carapaces, which could absorb the energy of a lance.
The high-temperature stream cut through the petrified forest like a knife through tofu. Just as the xenos were advancing over the corpses of their own kind, several more drill-like devices were inserted into the ground. Then, the Destroyer squad activated them.
THUMP—
A dull impact caused the surface of the entire landing point to collapse downwards at an exaggerated speed, exposing the massive hive-like structure within the building.
"..."
Dante glanced at Arthur, only to find that the two of them had unknowingly appeared in the middle of the squad.
"?" This made Dante look at Arthur with surprise. He had experienced a Librarian's psychic teleportation before. To be honest, that technology was much more stable than the Imperium's dangerously metaphysical teleportation technology.
"..."
Arthur glanced at Dante but had no intention of explaining his ability. He could actively adjust his degree of insulation from this world, changing his position in the real universe to achieve short-range teleportation. He had discovered this when he was fighting the Slaaneshi daemons.
"Advance in formation. Maintain distance. Prioritize destroying the defensive nodes."
The Destroyer squad moved quickly. Their power armor, enhanced by its modular design, showed extreme adaptability. The backpack of each warrior was equipped with a detachable heavy weapons module. Following Arthur's command, the warriors quickly switched their weapon modes. They just needed to reach back, and the equipment type could be quickly changed with system assistance. They were all precision war machines.
"The force will advance slowly," Arthur said, repeating the tactical instructions in as much detail as possible for each warrior. He believed that even without him, these battle-hardened Astartes could complete the mission of exterminating the xenos. But what they needed to do now was to get these warriors to adapt to this equipment and this new combat doctrine in these low-intensity wars, so that they could play their role when they faced the true enemies of the Emperor in the future.
He would be patient with these warriors, whose learning abilities varied, and he hoped they would also have the patience to learn.
"Left defensive node, marked," a warrior's voice came through the channel. The target's position was clearly marked on his helmet's projection.
"Acknowledged." Two warriors quickly broke from the squad, the plasma cannon modules mounted on their right arms beginning to charge. Blue energy gathered at the muzzle, a low hum emanating from it.
BOOM!
Two streams of scorching plasma tore through the air, accurately hitting the left defensive node. The xenos' energy shield instantly collapsed under the high temperature, a massive breach melted in the building's surface.
"Right defensive node, marked," another warrior's voice followed.
"Switch to bolter mode. Saturation fire." The weapon modules on the warriors' right arms switched again. The roar of heavy bolters instantly echoed across the battlefield. A dense rain of bolts poured out, completely destroying the right defensive node. The xenos' building swayed in the explosion, crystal fragments flying everywhere.
This type of xenos would, when hit by different weapons, quickly evolve a specific defensive crystal structure to counter that type of attack. It was the perfect test for the modular equipment of the Mark X (modified) power armor.
"Core area, breach," Arthur's voice was still calm as he watched the movements of each squad.
The Destroyer squad quickly regrouped. The weapon modules on their right arms switched again, this time to close-combat power fists and chainswords. The warriors, like a crimson torrent, charged into the core area of the xenos outpost.
Inside the core area, the xenos' physical structures were a complex maze. But another group of warriors, in Phobos-pattern power armor, played to their strengths. Relying on their camo-cloaks and the high mobility of their lightweight armor, they moved through the maze. The tactical projection inside their helmets was updated in real-time, and with every back-and-forth exchange, the map was shared with their comrades.
"Giant individual in the corridor ahead," a warrior's voice came through the channel.
"Switch to plasma incinerator. Clear the corridor." Two warriors quickly moved forward, their right-arm weapon modules switching to plasma incinerators.
A scorching stream of plasma erupted from the nozzle, slamming into the behemoth's body, but it only penetrated about a meter before the creature's altered crystal structure rendered it ineffective.
Arthur, hiding in the shadows, yanked back the fireteam, who, not yet accustomed to the weapon switching, had instinctively chosen to engage in close combat. But before the behemoth could continue its charge, the Infiltrators in their Phobos-pattern armor had already reached a position not far from it.
BOOM!
A Mark III Shrike-pattern bolt sniper rifle quickly locked onto the behemoth's core. The heavy muzzle brake erupted in flames, and a heavy bolt round, in the instant before it could change its crystal structure, was shot clean through its core.
"Core control room, marked," Arthur's voice came again.
"Acknowledged," the warriors replied in unison.
The core control room was located in the deepest part of the building, protected by a thick crystal barrier. Arthur raised his hand, and the heavy weapons module on his right arm switched to a multi-melta. A scorching beam shot from the muzzle, instantly melting a massive breach in the crystal barrier.
"Breach," he ordered, and the warriors quickly charged into the control room.
Inside, the xenos' core device was operating, emitting a strange energy wave. The Space Marines did not hesitate. The weapon modules on their right arms switched again, this time to high-yield demolition charges.
"Plant the charges. All units, withdraw," Arthur calmly gave the final order.
The warriors moved quickly, planting the demolition charges around the core device, then quickly withdrew. Arthur and Dante stood at the entrance to the control room, their gazes cold as they looked at the operating core device, as if awaiting the final judgment.
"Detonate," his voice was transmitted through the tactical channel to every warrior.
BOOM!
A massive explosion roared. The xenos outpost's core device completely collapsed in the high temperature and shockwave. With a massive wail that seemed to pierce the very soul, crystal fragments and metal wreckage flew everywhere. The enemies that had been swarming them all collapsed, one by one.
[Mission Complete.]
A notification popped up on everyone's lenses.
"Return to base." The short, powerful voice sounded again, putting a perfect end to this annihilation battle.
The Destroyer squad quickly regrouped. The weapon modules on their right arms quickly switched back to their initial mode, preparing to return to the Stormbird, which had already docked.
"..."
Aboard the Dawnlight, the Magos Dominus from Mars, Belisarius Cawl, was watching this combat record with Romulus. The hand that was holding his cog-staff loosened and tightened, tightened and loosened.
Mark X Gravis heavy power armor, Phobos-pattern light power armor, Mark II Cawl-pattern bolt rifle, Mark III Shrike-pattern bolt sniper rifle, Mark III Cawl-pattern plasma incinerator, man-portable seismic weapons, modular multi-meltas...
This isn't a damned Destroyer squad! This is a full-blown popularization of the Primaris Space Marines under the guise of a Destroyer squad!
Looking at one familiar technology after another, the Archmagos began to roar in his mind.
'This is all my tech!'
(End of Chapter)