The Primarch lowered his finger, pointing toward a massive target slowly approaching the fleet.
The target moved sluggishly within the star system, its colossal frame bringing an incomparable sense of pressure. Its objective was clear: it was heading straight for the Phalanx.
Within the system, only it could rival the Phalanx.
"Sigismund." Dorn called to his gene-son, a rare trace of gratification appearing on his nearly smileless face.
This warrior, who had risen to prominence within the Legion and joined the Templar Brethren, needed just such a stage to showcase his exceptional talents.
"A Battle Moon. The enemy's morale anchor and the combat command center for this system."
"Do you have the confidence to destroy it?" Dorn looked away from the Holographic Sand Table and asked from the side, his voice solemn.
It sounded less like an inquiry and more like a statement of an unshakeable fact.
Sigismund did not refuse. Lifting his handsome face, he calmly accepted the task: "I shall use it to secure our victory."
"Very well." Dorn nodded with satisfaction, returning his gaze to the Holographic Sand Table to deploy the next phase of the operation: "The performance of our ships holds few secrets in the eyes of the Ran Dan."
He pointed out the Battle Moon, and dots of light flickered around the xenos creation: "Mandeville Point is vital. The Battle Moon is gathering a fleet and is about to confront the Phalanx head-on."
"My brother once fought these xenos, launching a surprise attack that destroyed two Battle Moons. The internal structures of these xenos creations are largely the same."
As the Primarch spoke, light and shadow were projected onto a corner of the Holographic Sand Table, showing details of the internal structure obtained during the previous raid by the Custodes and Doom Slayers.
In the first Ran Dan War that occurred in the Morse Solar System, the Warrior King had selflessly shared intelligence, and various departments had already conducted countless tactical simulations based on that shared data.
Dorn raised his hand and pointed out several key points on the Battle Moon: "It is nearly impossible to break the shields of these giant xenos constructs from the outside."
He then picked out the Battle Moon's path and speed, deducing the enemy's intent: "The xenos want a quick resolution. They must use boarding tactics to disable the Phalanx's shields or power systems and destroy the Legion's mobile base."
Hearing the Primarch's explanation, the Legion Warriors on the bridge understood that the upcoming battle would be a mutual boarding action. Victory would belong to whoever could first breach the other's capital ship shields.
The Primarch would remain on the Phalanx to draw the bulk of the enemy forces and provide cover for the boarding personnel.
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The Legion Warriors' expressions were heavy.
The Ran Dan were a formidable foe for the Empire. Their elite warriors could rival the Astartes, and their level of technology was not inferior to the Empire's in the slightest.
The power of a Battle Moon was visible to the naked eye. Even for the Phalanx, it was nearly impossible to shatter its shields with direct frontal fire.
By the same token, it was difficult for a Battle Moon to do anything to the Phalanx.
These two equivalent behemoths were equipped with planetary-grade shields, and their plasma reactor matrices could provide nearly infinite sustained energy.
Unless the firepower exceeded their capacity by several orders of magnitude, breaking the shields was a fantasy.
Using boarding tactics to destroy the ship's core engines and shield generator zones from the inside was the only effective tactic.
"Go and prepare." Having finished the deployment, the Primarch waved his hand nonchalantly, signaling his Gene-sons to prepare for battle.
The warriors saluted solemnly and departed quickly. The entire Legion, like a precision instrument of war, instantly entered the highest state of combat readiness.
Following the Primarch's will, the main fleet assumed an attack formation, with ships spreading out to form an airtight offensive network.
The first point of engagement occurred in the direction of the Forge World.
The Imperial Fists' support fleet, in order to reinforce the surface battlefield of Shana, charged into the Ran Dan's blocking fleet in an indomitable chisel formation.
The void war had begun. There was no communication between the two sides, nor was any needed.
It was a fight to the death!
In the gaps between the clashing fleet Light Spears, the ships carrying Space Marines broke through the defensive web and lunged toward the low orbit of the Forge World.
Under the cover of fire platforms that had not yet fallen, they released Drop Pods to begin ground support operations. In an instant, bright yellow Drop Pods fell like a rainstorm.
Fifty thousand Space Marines.
This was the maximum support personnel the Imperial Fists Legion could spare after reserving forces for void boarding defense.
Due to the demands of the war, the Legion did not land in the fallen zones but directly in the contested areas to take over the work of the Nineteenth Legion.
"Brother." An Imperial Fists warrior stepped out of the landing craft and said to his cousin: "Leave the coming battle to us."
"Transferring command." The warrior of the Nineteenth Legion breathed a long sigh of relief. The moment his tense nerves relaxed, exhaustion could no longer be suppressed, and his body swayed slightly.
Throughout the long and fierce battle, the Legion Warriors had not rested for a single moment. Their superhuman bodies were on the verge of collapse.
"Please, get some rest." The bright yellow warrior stepped forward to steady his brother's staggering body; his black armor was covered in battle scars.
The black-armored warrior was too weak to speak, dragging his weary body into an air-raid shelter.
He took off his helmet to reveal a pale face, consumed high-energy military rations, and leaned against the wall to enter a deep sleep, preparing for the next battle upon waking.
The Fifth Legion had been recalled from the wastelands. They had been riding for too long and needed to resupply and rest together.
The Imperial Fists quickly replaced their brother Legion's defensive lines. The siege masters reintegrated resources and redeployed according to the current battle situation.
First, the nearly broken mortals began rotating for rest, giving the Auxiliary Army a precious six hours.
Automata were redeployed, Skitarii rotated, and defensive nodes were re-established. The battlefield underwent a rapid transformation.
The Ran Dan attacks continued, but they felt the offensive becoming extremely difficult.
After the Space Marines took over, they immediately began extensive earthworks, even voluntarily abandoning peripheral areas to further contract the defensive line.
However, when the Ran Dan entered the areas abandoned by the humans, they found them to be of no value and instead within the range of human artillery coverage.
Tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard. This was the situation the Ran Dan faced.
If they did not move in, the humans could launch an attack from those areas at any time; if they did, they were under artillery fire.
By the time they realized this and went to attack the vital defensive nodes, they found them already bristling with fortresses, connected by complex networks of trenches, and armed to the teeth.
Six hours after the Imperial Fists dropped, the defensive lines shifted rapidly. While the details were still being adjusted, the tactical arrangement was completely refreshed.
The sound of guns on the front lines gradually diminished. Facing a fully armed hedgehog, the Ran Dan lost interest in attacking.
They launched several large-scale charges, but aside from leaving behind a field of corpses, they gained nothing, while the death rate on the opposite side was pitifully low.
Seeing the Ran Dan's desire to attack diminish, the Imperial Fists Commander knew the time had come.
Once the Nineteenth Legion warriors had rested, they donned new Ceramite Armor and immediately joined their brother Legion to launch a counter-offensive against the Ran Dan.
Liberated from defensive warfare, the Nineteenth Legion broke into smaller units and vanished into the shadows, their destination unknown.
With all units coordinated, the Imperial Fists' defensive counter-attack began.
Outside the Forge Temple, trenches began to extend outward. Earth-moving machinery started digging toward the Ran Dan to reclaim vital areas.
Meanwhile, the Ran Dan lines were suffering, unable to respond to the shifts on the front.
Space Marines in heavy Ceramite Armor had infiltrated their rear from nowhere, wreaking havoc on communication equipment and power installations.
The thrall armies could hardly withstand them. By the time elite warriors arrived on the scene, the Space Marines had long since departed the crime scene.
Even more incredible: when elite warriors cornered the Space Marines, they would throw smoke grenades and vanish into the shadows like ghosts.
Explosions erupted across the landing zones. The unshackled Nineteenth Legion gained complete initiative, descending from the shadows to avenge their fallen brothers.
The Legion Warriors utilized 'Shadow-walking.' This unique talent was unknown to outsiders, and naturally, the xenos were unaware of it as well.
Coupled with their mastery of stealth and behind-the-lines operations, and with no front-line concerns, they caused immense destruction, keeping the enemy in a state of constant panic.
Further away, the white-clad Fifth Legion rode with abandon. Like the Nineteenth Legion, having unleashed their true nature, they were fast and swift.
On the periphery of the landing zones, the Ran Dan supply lines extending to other battlefields were struck hard by the Fifth Legion, suffering heavy losses.
"Speed it up! Boys!" The former Legion Lieutenant—Gereon—shouted excitedly, his Jetbike's throttle pinned to the limit as wide tracks kicked up red dust.
Things were different now. He bore the honor of having found the Primarch and had been promoted to First Company Captain of the Legion, a position second only to the Legion Commander.
"Charge!" In the high-speed assault, the Legion Warriors' adrenaline surged, feeling the dangerous thrill of grit pelting their armor.
The frustration of the defensive war vanished with the howling wind. The resolve for vengeance remained in their hearts, turning into a roar of hatred that swept toward the Ran Dan.
They came like a storm, carrying death with them. The twin-linked Bolters on the front of their Jetbikes spat tongues of fire, playing a symphony of death.
The Fifth Legion was as swift as the wind, their combat style closely resembling that of ancient cavalry.
The Fifth Legion's motorcycle squads excelled in speed, moving faster than any other Legion. Their engines roared in the wind as heavy bolter fire rained down like hail, tearing through the xenos servants surrounding the Titan Train.
These creatures, controlled by Ran Dan brain fluid, had completely lost their consciousness and could only be ruthlessly exterminated.
The defensive cannons on the Titan Train's carriages turned, aiming at the motorcycle squads and kicking up clouds of red dust as they fired.
Unfortunately, the clumsy cannons struggled to hit the motorcycles. The Legion Warriors anticipated the trajectory of the shells, maneuvering their bikes to the side to evade.
Facing the high-rate-of-fire point-defense cannons, the Legion Warriors used serpentine maneuvers to draw the fire of the autocannons, buying space for their brothers.
Led by a Rangdan Overlord, elite warriors climbed onto the roof. Their six-legged biological armor moved rapidly as they raised bio-guns to fire plasma, attempting to drive back the Space Marines.
"Rangdan Overlord detected," a roar came through the comms channel, drowning out the howling gale. The squad immediately shifted formation, and a sidecar motorcycle team moved up to take their place.
The Space Marine in the sidecar braced the heavy bolter and pulled the trigger on the Rangdan Overlord. The heavy bolter fire thundered dully, causing the Overlord's shield to shake violently and quickly overload under the suppressive fire.
"Demolition team, go!" Seeing the Ran Dan guards suppressed, Gereon seized the fleeting opportunity to launch an attack on the Titan Train.
The demolition team rode their motorcycles close, matching the speed of the train, and hurled melta bombs from their hands.
The melta bombs were equipped with magnetic devices, adhering to critical nodes like the Titan Train's anti-gravity chassis and carriage couplings.
"Mission accomplished. Withdraw."
At the command, the motorcycle assault unit veered away, having struck their target, and rapidly retreated.
They did not linger for a moment, leaving the Rangdan Overlord to let out a howl of powerless rage.
Boom!
The melta bombs detonated simultaneously. Azure plasma rose over the red wasteland as the Titan Train was completely destroyed. Human technological creations must never serve xenos, no matter how precious they might be.
Beep... beep...
Gereon raised his hand as a message arrived on his tactical terminal: "In twelve minutes, supply materials will depart from the xenos landing site. Intercept them."
"Boys! Another big fish is coming!" he let out an excited howl, leading the motorcycle squad away once more toward the next objective. The stalkers of the Nineteenth Legion were lurking at the xenos landing field, providing continuous intelligence to facilitate the hunting efforts of the now-available Fifth Legion.
Within the Ran Dan landing field, piercing alarms never ceased. Elite warriors inside the base hurried about, led by Overlords to search for the human Space Marines.
Once they had moved far away, a Space Marine stepped out from the shadows of the ground. He traveled light; the only purpose of his power armor was to mask his own signature.
His pale face beneath the mask was expressionless. He pulled open a ground grate and jumped into the underground utility tunnels to begin his sabotage.
With blueprints provided by the Adeptus Mechanicus, he moved with practiced ease to the regional power control center, casually snapping the neck of a xenos servant.
Behind the Imperial Fists' defensive line, the tactics pre-planned by the Nineteenth Legion could finally be executed. There was no need to worry about lacking reserves, ensuring the Ran Dan would have no chance to react.
The warrior took a bomb from his belt and attached it next to the control array, then inserted a data slate to release an overload virus crafted by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
The plan was simple: implant the virus to destroy the power supply system and blow up the control center, giving the Ran Dan no chance to repair it.
The data slate finished the upload, and piercing alarms rang out across the area. In a few seconds, the human systems would go offline from Ran Dan control.
The infiltrator smiled slightly, stepped sideways, and merged into a corner shadow that seemed too small for his frame, leaving the control center.
Crash!
By the time he returned to the surface, the power conduits had all overloaded and self-destructed. The entire Ran Dan landing field was plunged into darkness, with only burning fires providing illumination. And this environment was precisely the Nineteenth Legion's killing zone!
The warriors drew their daggers and emerged from the dark shadows, firing their bolter pistols to draw the Ran Dan's attention.
As the sound of Bolters rang out, the landing field collectively fell into darkness; other warriors had destroyed all power supply equipment.
The only place still lit was the center of the landing field, where the Ran Dan had laid independent lines specifically to prevent such accidents.
Soon, a tall tower rose in the central area, flickering with electricity that surged outward.
The xenos possessed wireless power transmission technology. The Ran Dan equipment lit up, communication facilities resumed operation, and lights illuminated the night sky.
The Legion Warriors were not worried at all; instead, they wore smiles of successful schemes.
The purpose of destroying the facilities was to force the Ran Dan to divert troops from the front lines to defend existing equipment and prevent further attacks.
With more troops in the rear, the front-line forces naturally decreased, which was beneficial for the Imperial Fists to launch their assault.
The warriors re-entered the shadows, marking the locations of important facilities and planning their next sabotage mission. The xenos had to be given a proper taste of being run ragged.
Similar scenes were occurring in every corner of Shana.
The Nineteenth Legion was lurking throughout the entire world. Warriors with the gift of shadow-walking slipped quietly into the core areas of the xenos.
Those lacking the shadow gift used their stealth skills to infiltrate enemy zones and provide intelligence for their brother Legions. They danced on the edge of a blade, conducting dangerous guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines.
Without a doubt, the arrival of the Imperial Fists had reset the battlefield, liberating the two brother Legions.
The incredibly difficult ground war saw a sharp reversal. The three Legions each performed their duties, and in their respective areas of expertise, they forced the Ran Dan into a corner.
On the void Battle Moon, the massive command room was filled only with the roars of the Ran Dan Warmaster.
It crushed the holographic projection to vent its inner rage, blaming its subordinate Overlords for their incompetence.
It was about to have a final showdown with the Phalanx, yet the ground battle had completely stalled. Two hundred thousand elite warriors had failed to produce the expected results, instead allowing the Space Marines to begin their counterattack.
"It is not your fault," the Warmaster said to the trembling Overlords after venting. "The intelligence on the Imperium of Man should have been given more importance."
Following its words, the holographic images reorganized into a dossier, which was the detailed information on the various Legions of the Imperium of Man.
It provided a general overview of the twenty-one Legions, their different combat styles, and their specializations.
This was the limit of what the homeworld could provide. Since the Legions were independent of each other, only their combat styles could be summarized; outsiders could not gain too deep an understanding.
The Ran Dan Warmaster set aside its contempt.
It had thought that the Fifth and Nineteenth Legions were nothing special, remaining completely passive under its high pressure.
Now the Warmaster understood that it wasn't that the Astartes Legions were incapable, but simply that they hadn't had the opportunity to play to their strengths.
The intelligence stated: the Fifth Legion excelled at rapid guerrilla warfare, and the Nineteenth Legion was proficient in guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines.
Excelling was one thing, and proficiency was another. It had never expected them to be this excellent and proficient.
Regarding the Imperial Fists Legion responsible for frontal defense, intelligence showed they excelled in defensive warfare, originally having conducted conquests in the Segmentum Tempestus planned by humanity, building fortresses for every world.
Only after facing them head-on did it realize how powerless and desperate it felt as an indestructible wall slowly pressed forward.
"Report, Commander, there are fluctuations in the Warp. A large number of targets are approaching this system." The AI's reminder interrupted the Warmaster's thoughts.
The Ran Dan Warmaster's mind stirred, and its biological armor simulated a voice to ask: "Allies or enemies?"
"Both," the AI replied concisely, responding with extreme rationality.
"Understood. Notify the fleet to prepare for battle." The Warmaster let out a long sigh upon hearing this; things were developing exactly as it had predicted.
Shana was becoming a vortex of war, drawing in both their own side and the humans.
With both empires deploying reinforcements without limit, the intensity of the war here would continue to rise, eventually reaching a terrifying level.
The Warmaster did not dwell on it. In a war of mutual extermination, one must go all out in a life-or-death struggle. After its lament, it began to issue orders: "Activate all weapon systems. Elite warriors, prepare for boarding. Set up defensive deployments within the ships to resist human boarding operations."
"In the first war with humanity, we failed. The Battle Moon was crushed from the inside; that was a bloody lesson."
"Now that we have returned, we should remember that lesson, set aside our contempt and arrogance toward humanity, and take this war of survival seriously."
"Understood!" The Overlords sent out intense mental fluctuations, responding to the Warmaster as they prepared for the upcoming boarding battle.
The Battle Moon slowly approached, and all weapon arrays on the Phalanx were activated. The energy consumption of the megastructure ship rose exponentially.
Dorn was as steady as a mountain. His white hair looked spirited, his face was expressionless, and he silently stared at the information being fed back from the holographic sand table.
The Ran Dan launched their attack. Dense Light Spears bombarded the void shields, creating eerie ripples as the Warp trembled violently.
Without the Primarch's command, the Phalanx remained poised but unfired, waiting for that momentary opportunity to appear.
The distance between the two sides continued to close. The Phalanx's shield system flickered rapidly, the outer layer almost forming a purple sphere of light.
At point-blank range, the Battle Moon released boarding craft. Dorn finally saw his chance: "Fire!"
Accompanied by the Primarch's steady voice, the Phalanx's first round of fire commenced. The target was not the Battle Moon, but those tiny boarding craft!