Cadia Naval Battle (2)

The Vengeful Spirit was the tip of the spear, but not without protection; five escort squadrons guarded it from all directions—above, below, left, right, and front. If necessary, they could use their own Void Shields or even their hulls to block fire for the Vengeful Spirit.

In void naval warfare, numbers and firepower were key to victory, but another crucial factor was formation. If the formation wasn't spread out, even advantages in numbers and firepower couldn't be leveraged—this was also why battles where the outnumbered defeated the many occurred.

Especially in boarding actions involving so many Astartes, if their ship was blown apart before they could close to boarding range, then no matter how experienced the Space Marines, they would die meaninglessly in the void.

The two fleets quickly became entangled, entering close-range combat in the void. The Black Legion launched a barrage of boarding torpedoes, which either struck their target ships or were shot down in the void, a series of explosions flaring up before the Imperial fleet's Void Shields.

In truth, most of those boarding torpedoes carried nothing at all—maybe some Beastmen or Mortal Cultists, or even timed Meltabombs. No one would send their elite troops on the first wave of a naval battle, when the enemy's defensive fire was at its peak.

The Imperial Navy's Admiral Cassian Waldo had consistently chosen cautious tactics; after all, they were the defenders, having seized advantageous positions in advance. They even had the support of the Cadian Orbital Defense Fire. "I have defensive towers—why would I charge out to fight you? Ridiculous."

Compared to Admiral Cassian Waldo's cautious steadiness, Grand Commander Valicar was far more aggressive. After all, the distance they'd closed was bought with the sacrifice of small craft. He sat upon the Command Throne on the Vengeful Spirit's bridge, watching this inevitably brutal naval battle unfold, searching for a way to defeat the Imperial fleet that held the advantages of terrain and morale.

Finally, the two fleets drew completely close. Countless Lances and Macro Cannons battered each other's Void Shields, while boarding torpedoes and Orbital Cannons fired at point-blank range.

On the Vengeful Spirit's bridge, Grand Commander Valicar sat on the Command Throne, his brain linked to the command bridge via Data-cables. Tactical reports flooded into his mind like a torrent; he rapidly assessed the situation and issued orders. Servants continuously relayed tactical reports, then forwarded them through Psychic Communication to the command nodes of the Legions and War Bands.

Countless Chaos Space Marines entered Imperial ships via torpedoes and Gunboats. Most of these ships had no Astartes protection; the Admiral could only pray that his anti-boarding Sailors would work a miracle.

At the same time, Peter and his group received their orders: board and destroy the Imperial Navy's Siluria-class Light Cruiser, the Blade of Judgment.

The Blade of Judgment was equipped with Void Shields; attacks from over a dozen smaller ships around it were like scratching an itch. This powerful void barrier could absorb and disperse incoming energy and physical attacks, protecting the ship from lethal damage.

The ship's prow was also adorned with a Ramming Prow—not just decoration, but a weapon for tearing into enemy vessels in close combat. The ship's Macro Cannon turrets were massive and conspicuous, their design crude and brutal, showcasing the Empire's military might. A single shot from one blew a Cobra Destroyer beside the Blackrock, whose shields had failed, into two sections.

Peter's group had also prepared. "Lord of Fleets" Barnabas gave the order: the First Tactical Squad would board and seize the Engine Room; Peter and the Second Tactical Squad would board the bridge; the Third Tactical Squad would remain on the flagship.

Peter grabbed his Boarding Shield and Bolter Gun, standing inside a boarding torpedo. Barnabas exploited a blind spot in the enemy ship to launch a sudden boarding attack. From several ships, ten torpedoes were suddenly launched en masse; the enemy had no way of knowing which carried Astartes. Even if a few were shot down, it didn't matter.

If one was lucky enough not to be shot down and the torpedo entered the enemy ship, the enemy still had to send armed personnel to investigate. It might be a timed Meltabomb, or Mortal Cultists, or nothing at all. But the torpedoes' purpose was already achieved: they wasted the defenders' precious time.

With a deafening crash, their boarding torpedo slammed into the hull of the Blade of Judgment. The hatch opened, and Peter's group surged into the ship like a tidal wave.

Peter spoke, issuing orders:

"The squad splits into three groups: front, middle, and rear. I'll take point. We approach the bridge via the main corridor."

"Remember, our targets are the bridge and the Engine Room. Once we control those two places, this ship is ours."

The First Squad should have already boarded from the ship's rear; they would complete their mission. Peter's group had landed at the forward section of the ship, and they would capture the bridge as well.

With Forged Steel Lord Peter leading personally, Captain Wonaby's command authority automatically shifted back. No one objected.

The Space Marines murmured their acknowledgments over the internal comms, their eyes burning with fanatical light beneath their helmet visors. They knew this would be a bloody battle, but they felt no fear.

The Space Marines moved swiftly through the ship's corridors, their boots thudding heavily on the metal deck plates, like the beat of war drums.

In the narrow passageways of the ship, Peter's group soon encountered the Empire's defensive forces. A group of Sailors stood ready, their Laser Guns and combat shotguns aimed down the corridor.

However, the Astartes' Bolter fire tore through the Sailors' defensive line in an instant. The battle was brutal; in the cramped corridors of the warship, the flesh and armor of mortal soldiers were utterly helpless before the Space Marines.

Peter's group advanced toward the command bridge. Peter, in particular, simply planted his Boarding Shield forward against the Sailors' fire, picking them off one by one through the firing port of his Bolter Gun.

The enemy tried to counter with the same tactic. A Sailor raised his Boarding Shield, attempting to block the Space Marines' fire. But with two dull thuds, two holes were punched through the soldier's shield. As the shield was penetrated, the Sailor collapsed weakly.

The shields those Sailors carried, called Boarding Shields, were just thick slabs of Plasteel—no Field Generator, and probably not even the best quality Plasteel. They worked well enough against Laser Guns and Autoguns, but against Astartes-caliber Bolter rounds, using one or not made little difference.

The group of 17 Astartes advanced quickly, soon reaching another corner. But at a side passage in the middle of the formation, a seemingly smaller Sailor darted out from the corner. More importantly, he was holding a fully charged Plasma Gun.

The Sailor shouted:

"Die, Chaos scum!"

Bang! A ball of plasma shot straight toward the middle of the group. In the narrow corridor, there was no room to retreat or dodge. The plasma struck a Heretic Pattern Power Armour-clad Astartes square in the face.

In less than half a second, a nearby comrade blew the Sailor's head apart with a Bolter round. But the stricken Astartes' helmet and chestplate had already been melted by the plasma. His massive superhuman body crashed to the deck.

Wonaby reported over the internal comms:

"Lord, Neophyte Manny is KIA."

But Peter had no time to concern himself with that, because Thor, the First Squad leader attacking the Engine Room, sent his report:

"Lord, we're encountering heavy resistance on our way to seize the Engine Room. There are Astartes on the other side."

Peter's heart jolted:

"This ship has Astartes stationed on it?"