Burning Stars

The outcome of the war council's discussion was summarized as "fortify and fight a war of attrition."

Hold fast within the fortress, it was that simple.

It wasn't that no one contributed ideas, but defensive battles were inherently fought this way, leaving little room for tactical maneuvering.

Before the enemy arrived, the Ragefang traversed the stars, searching for all sorts of intelligence.

When the Ragefang returned, Lu Jin learned of the Imperium's strategy and tactics—a hit-and-run approach.

All border systems that explicitly declared loyalty to the Red Corsairs were designated as rebellious, and an offensive route deep into the Maelstrom was planned. As the fleet passed through each system, a portion of the forces would be left behind to attack the worlds within, establishing supply points and garrisons for the follow-up troops.

This news was disseminated by an Imperial world that had declared allegiance to the Imperium, and after obtaining the strategic intelligence, this Imperial world declared rebellion.

The Imperium still decided to proceed with the leaked military strategy.

This was due to the Eye of Terror facing attacks from multiple large Chaos warbands, making the situation dire. Furthermore, multiple Chapters were involved, and the strategies of several fleets were not easily changed.

At the last moment before the war, the Ragefang placed twenty-two newly modified recruits onto Manros.

The efficiency of the automatic modification equipment was undeniable.

The Ragefang would not remain stationed on Manros; Lu Jin's arrangement was for them to take the modification equipment and leave, avoiding the conflict.

Vengar's ships also had their engines repaired just before the war arrived. Upon learning that Vengar and his fleet would not be returning, they fled immediately.

Two weeks after the war council.

The war began.

The underhive of the Hive City.

Strategic Command Center.

Amanius established the command center, and the people he left behind operated the various equipment here.

Observation posts on the surface scanned the entire star system.

Only black and green scanning panels flickered.

"Warp travel fluctuations detected!"

As this report was heard, Lu Jin noticed a string of signals appear on the scanning panel.

After decoding, the signals were displayed as various icons.

Lu Jin, who had diligently studied relevant knowledge before the war, recognized that these icons all meant "strike cruiser."

Behind the rudimentary display on the scanning panel, twenty cruisers emerged from the Warp into realspace at the edge of the Manros system. The Space Marine Chapters and ground assault forces aboard were all assembling and rushing to their combat stations amidst the blaring alarms.

However, these twenty strike cruisers were only the first wave of enemies.

After a brief wait, as the icons displayed on the scanning panel moved closer to the green marker representing Manros, another twenty warships entered the system.

Judging by the icons, there were frigates and cruisers—likely a standard Imperial Navy fleet, not a Chapter fleet.

A total of forty warships approached Manros.

After a short wait, the most critical part of Manros' planetary defense, the Void Shields, came under orbital bombardment.

Void Shields were used by ships and for planetary defense.

Planetary defense Void Shields were even grander, capable of enveloping vast areas, with effects no different from ship-borne Void Shields—deflecting high-speed attacks into the Warp.

"If only we could stand outside and watch the sky... we'd surely see lances falling on us like raindrops..."

Lu Jin overheard a staff member chatting with the person next to him.

He estimated that the situation outside was the same as what the staff member described.

Each orbital strike absorbed by the Void Shields was likely sufficient to destroy a region.

After the bombardment continued for a moment, Lu Jin turned to look at the most secluded corner of the command center.

A boy, about 12 years old, sat cross-legged, adorned with various mystical trinkets from Manros' local culture, such as beast teeth and feathers, human skulls, and the like, much like a shaman.

He was the grandson of the psyker who prophesied, "[The Emperor closes his eyes and does not save the world; Lu Jin opens his eyes and intends to slaughter.]"

A person who had awakened his psionic talents early on.

This child was surrounded by former resistance fighters, now soldiers of the Manros defense force, preventing others from disturbing him.

His duty was to perform war prophecies.

"Report! Message from Fortress Thirteen, they've detected multiple entities breaching the atmosphere."

Lu Jin's attention was drawn by the voice, and he saw a broadcast from Fortress Thirteen appear on the screen.

Drop pods carrying Space Marines descended from the sky, passing through the Void Shields. Due to the Void Shield's defensive principle, drop pods or other entities not moving at extreme speeds could pass through.

Roughly counting, there were over twenty drop pods.

All Space Marines and mortal troops were currently dispersed throughout the fortresses and the Hive City. Fortress Thirteen had a total of forty Space Marines and over a hundred thousand mortal soldiers.

But overall, Fortress Thirteen, located on the edge of the planet's northern continent, was the weakest defended.

Lu Jin stared at the screen, waiting for the results from the defenders of Fortress Thirteen.

After one solar hour passed, bad news arrived.

"Fortress Thirteen has fallen. All defenders have retreated underground."

Lu Jin took a deep breath and pondered.

This was real war command.

With only limited information, one could only wait for the combatants to produce results.

As for what exactly happened during the battle, one could only guess.

Lu Jin felt that the main force defending Fortress Thirteen was a squad of "Manros Gendarmes," along with Vengar's men. The latter were unwilling to contribute honestly, and the former couldn't stop the tide of defeat.

However, Space Marines were Space Marines after all. The reason for their collapse in less than a solar hour must be that the enemy who air-dropped them was an elite force.

Just as he expected.

After Fortress Thirteen fell, the defenders hid underground and sent the battle details to the command center.

After the command center staff refined the information, they summarized: "One hundred Terminators from the first company of the enemy legion defeated the defenders. The Astartes Gendarmes and the remaining twenty of Vengar's men, along with local mortals, retreated into the underground barracks."

If no one had compiled and reported these events, and the defenders had completely collapsed or had no retreat, Lu Jin would never have known what happened at Fortress Thirteen.

"Soul of Manros... reveal to me..."

The boy sitting in the corner suddenly spoke in a daze.

Lu Jin turned his head to look. The boy opened his eyes, which glowed golden: "The storm has passed!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Jin turned back and saw on the scan panel that thirty-seven out of more than forty warships were retreating.

The Warp storm had receded.

The blockade was clear, and Manros was no longer a strategic focus.

The attacking force had greatly reduced, possibly to just one legion.

This sudden good fortune put Lu Jin a little at ease.

But the boy suddenly began to tremble, tears streaming from his eyes: "I see... I see flames burning Manros... this planet is screaming and wailing in a hellish catastrophe..."

Hearing this, Lu Jin froze for two seconds, then reacted and shouted to the communications officer: "Order everyone to retreat into the underground barracks!"

The communications officer hesitated slightly but still relayed the order.

In various fortresses, mortal defenders abandoned their posts and hid underground.

Vengar's men cursed loudly at the mortals, then were driven underground by the grumbling Blood God cultists who thought Lu Jin's order was reckless. Although they were unhappy about not being able to fight to the death, they still carried out the order. This was also why they could be "Manros Gendarmes."

Half a solar hour later.

The boy's prophecy, the things he saw, came true.

Everything organic on the surface of the planet Manros underwent a drastic change.

All organic matter on the planet's surface was decomposed. The ecosystems that existed on the southern continent due to the planet's own regulatory mechanisms, whether forests or grasslands, all turned into swamps.

During this decomposition process, a large amount of flammable gas was produced.

Then the gas ignited, and the entire planet was engulfed in flames.

This was the work of a Virus Bomb.

A Virus Bomb is an extermination weapon that can release a virus called "Devourer," which even Space Marine Power Armor cannot filter.

The flammable gas was merely a byproduct of the virus decomposing the planet's ecosystem.

Imperial Inquisitors would sign a document called an Exterminatus to destroy an entire planet. Cyclonic Torpedoes and Virus Bombs were means of execution.

But Lu Jin initially didn't think the Imperium would use Exterminatus.

Across the galaxy, the number of habitable planets for humans was extremely small; ninety percent of planets were uninhabitable. Therefore, the Imperium usually did not resort to planet-destroying measures.

Even if events on a planet were irreversible, an Inquisitor would be investigated after signing an Exterminatus. The destruction of a habitable planet was itself a crime.

Now...

Think about who could sign an Exterminatus.

Think about who would sign an Exterminatus after the storm dissipated and Manros lost its strategic value.

Then, after most of the attacking fleet had withdrawn, those who remained in orbit around Manros and wanted to attack here, their identities were obvious.

"Report! The communications channel has been compromised!"

As soon as the voice fell, a communication image popped up on the largest screen in the command center.

It showed the face of an acquaintance.

It was the Inquisitor who had previously designed an ambush for Lu Jin, the enemy of the entire Fierce Angels Legion.

This bastard... when he escaped through unknown means before, he didn't forget to kill all the captured crew members.

"I'm back." The Inquisitor saw Lu Jin. "You... why do you have an extra suit of armor? This Ironclad Terminator, did it break down so much that only the crotch is left?"

"Did you implant adamantium into your neck to dare come back?" Lu Jin said.

"Yes." The Inquisitor turned around, revealing his modified neck. "It's to prevent you from chopping me."

He turned back to face Lu Jin. "Just kidding. Actually, a Manros slave was lurking beside me and took a swing at me... If it weren't for the Mercy Emissaries' Tech-Priests saving me, I wouldn't be back now, and I wouldn't be able to meet my old friends, the Fierce Angels."

Lu Jin thought to himself that this Inquisitor's personality was quite lively, not the grim and bitter type one would expect, but a purely lively kind of evil.

"So, it's still the Mercy Emissaries Chapter attacking Manros?" Lu Jin asked.

"Yes. This doesn't count as leaking classified information, right? It's obvious." The Inquisitor seemed completely unguarded.

Lu Jin observed the command deck of the strike cruiser outside the orbit from the view behind the Inquisitor.

Officers and the Chapter Master of the Mercy Emissaries Chapter were discussing strategy.

Outside the viewport, anti-orbital strikes from Manros were stirring dark purple ripples on the ship's Void Shield.

"Turn off communications," Lu Jin ordered.

"No!" the Inquisitor quickly interjected. "I've already let you see the command deck, can't you at least keep this communication signal? Just pretend I don't exist and turn off your listening devices to prevent me from hearing your commands."

"But I beg you! My lord Chapter Master of the Fierce Angels!"

"Please, let me see... see how you are all slaughtered by my people!"

"I said slaughtered, did you notice my wording? The meaning of mass butchering livestock."

"Just like I slaughtered ninety-nine percent of you before, like butchering livestock, and the place I lured you to was the slaughterhouse, I..."

The communication was cut off.

Lu Jin gritted his teeth.

He had already decided that no matter what, as long as there was a way to board the ship, he would charge up and chop that Inquisitor.