Why is My Turret Attacking Me?!

Agathos was not far from Omiron. After seven days of Warp travel, Gao Yi's fleet exited the Warp and entered the Agathos System.

From the Bridge, Gao Yi could already see the light radiating from the star at the heart of the Agathos System.

Three planets belonging to the Mongert Dynasty orbited the star, forming the dynasty's Capital World.

But as the Augur Array scanned the void, the orbital defense fleet that should have been stationed there was nowhere to be seen—only a field of wreckage drifting in the emptiness.

"By the God-Emperor, the dynasty's planetary defense fleet..." Veil said in disbelief.

A dynasty world typically maintained a battle group of ten Frigates and destroyers at all times.

The destruction of so many warships was an unbearable loss for the dynasty.

"First, approach Agathos. Get close enough to send a communication to the governor."

As the warships slowly drew nearer to Agathos's orbital path, Gao Yi got a clear look at his own Capital World.

A colossal Hive City sprawled across the continent, its layers stacked skyward like a tower piercing the heavens, housing the vast majority of the planet's population.

Only a small fraction roamed the wastelands, scraping by on salvaged refuse.

They faced not only shortages of food and survival supplies but also mutant bandits and mutated beasts.

But before he could observe further, he spotted several points of light rising from various parts of the Hive City, heading straight for his fleet.

Multiple Plasma rounds fired from the ground-based defense cannons, without warning, streaking toward the battle group approaching orbit.

He never expected to be shelled in his own Capital World.

"Activate the Void Shields! Emergency evasive maneuvers!"

Several Plasma bolts slammed into the Golden Ram's Void Shields, shattering them outright.

Another massive laser array fired, its beam slicing a Frigate that hadn't raised its shields clean in two...

Watching his Void Shields nearly drained of all energy, Gao Yi was shaken by the sheer power.

"Get us out of orbit immediately!"

Gao Yi stared at the destroyed Frigate and finally understood how the defense fleet had been wiped out.

The massive Planetary Defense Cannons on the ground posed an absurd threat to warships.

In most cases, to capture a fully fortified planet, you didn't just need to destroy the fleet—you had to first neutralize the planetary defense batteries. Otherwise, orbital bombardment was nearly impossible.

A single Plasma round was enough to destroy a warship that hadn't raised its Void Shields.

Even a cruiser couldn't withstand a direct hit from ground-based planetary defense installations.

And most ships in this universe couldn't operate within an atmosphere. A Space Marine Strike Cruiser could manage it, but Gao Yi had no way to get his hands on one right now.

"Agathos is in worse shape than I thought. Even such critical facilities have been taken over?"

"Captain! At this rate, until we deal with those cannons, we can't even get close, let alone send a team down to the surface!"

"Can we still contact the ground?"

"I'll have the Acoustic Array Master try again!"

After repeated attempts, the Acoustic Array Master finally managed to establish a shaky connection with Agathos's governor.

"You... you are the heir of the Rogue Trader? I am Rebecca, Governor of Agathos. My greetings to you. Glory to you and to the dynasty. The enemy has jammed our communications!"

The screen's signal flickered in and out.

"What's going on with those cannons?"

"War! Internal feuding has turned into war! What was once a political power struggle escalated when everyone learned of your return. The traitors launched an armed coup.

They stormed the Planetary Defense Cannons. The Upper Hive's air defense system controlling those cannons was infiltrated by an unknown program. They shelled the unsuspecting fleet. Now any loyalist shuttle trying to launch gets shot down!"

Listening to Rebecca, Gao Yi guessed that the Dark Mechanicus had seized control of the cannons.

If their target was Agathos, there had to be more of them involved.

"Is there any way to send troops to retake the cannons?"

"Forgive my incompetence... I tried. But once you enter the Mid-Hive, you're surrounded by madmen shouting 'Dawn and Daybreak.' They blend in with the civilians—impossible to distinguish.

The moment they see a dynasty soldier, they attack like berserkers. I suspect the traitors have allied with cultists."

The governor's signal cut out again.

"Captain! We could sacrifice one or two Frigates and force an orbital bombardment. It would cause heavy damage to the Hive City and massive collateral casualties, but it's a last resort."

"Orbital bombardment is out of the question. The Hive City is a vital dynasty asset. Bombarding it would mean not just massive property loss but also a huge population hit. Rebuilding a Hive City would take decades at least!"

"Then let me lead an assault team and force a landing! I'll retake those cannons for you!"

"Not necessary. I have a way to deal with those cannons. As long as we can destroy them without being detected, it should be fine."

"But that's impossible!"

Yet after saying that, Veil paused. Hadn't Gao Yi already pulled off plenty of miracles?

"Veil, find me some pilots from the navy who've flown fighters."

"Fighters? The Golden Ram isn't equipped with any carrier craft!"

"There isn't any now, but there will be soon!"

The Psionic Crystal in Gao Yi's hand was enough to build a Starport.

And Gao Yi's target was precisely the Banshee Fighters that the Starport could produce.

These light fighters, capable of cloaking, should be able to accomplish his tactical objectives.

But based on his experience building the Barracks, the Starport would definitely require a massive amount of metal, and building the Banshees would also need a lot of metal.

The metal reserves aboard the warship weren't enough to cover such a huge expenditure.

However, since he had arrived at his own Capital World, Gao Yi didn't need to go through the trouble of purchasing from the Order anymore—wasn't the Aglarans in this star system a mining planet?

"Helmsman, change course to Aglarans!"

Aglarans didn't have the same robust defense systems as the Capital World.

A few mining facilities and refining plants were all this planet had; the rest of the area was completely uninhabitable for humans. Once you left the work zones, a normal person might not survive even a few minutes.

More than a mining planet, this place felt like a prison. The person in charge here handled production while also serving as the Warden. Aside from a small number of soldiers, almost all the miners were criminals, and the Mongert Dynasty used this place as a penal colony for exile.

Nearly 500,000 people were spread across various mining sites.

Those who came here had no chance of ever leaving in their lifetime. They could only keep working, toiling away to repent and atone for their sins before the God-Emperor.

Faced with Gao Yi's arrival, the person in charge was terrified. He naturally knew about what happened on Agathos and feared Gao Yi would take his anger out on him.

Fortunately, Gao Yi had no such intention. Moreover, since the unrest began, the supply fleet hadn't visited Aglarans in a long time.

Not only had they failed to deliver food, but they also hadn't taken away the accumulated minerals.

A massive stockpile of refined ore had filled the warehouses, and the workers had already stopped laboring. Without the ability to leave the planet, if no one came, everyone would likely die here.

The Warden no longer had the confidence to keep these criminals under control.