104. The Battle of Sigma Ustali, Forger of Worlds (Part 2, 3k)

What had happened to Petty Officer Tariksis was only a tiny glimpse of the whole.

Boarding was a cruel word in the dark galaxy. Many people favored this method of attack, but they also knew full well that if there was any other option, boarding was always the second choice.

Unfortunately, Orcs did not talk to you about any "second choice." For their simple minds, whether the word "choice" even existed was hard to say.

"Captain Dalikar needs medical support! I repeat, Captain Dalikar needs medical support!"

The young naval brigadier with a boundless future ahead of him, Vensatoria, dragged an old man behind the defensive line with his face covered in blood, roaring into the comms channel as he did. But no answer came from the medical Sisters over the channel, which meant one of two things.

First, those respectable ladies had all been killed by the Orcs. Second, there was a problem with the communications relay, and they could not be reached.

Neither was good.

Vensatoria gritted his teeth and pressed down on the captain's still-bleeding chest and abdomen, but the white-haired old man weakly shook his head at him. Captain Dalikar was known for fighting alongside his soldiers, and that was precisely one of the reasons he had been struck by a stray bullet.

"There is no chance I will survive, Vensatoria. That bullet has probably shredded my organs. In truth, the fact that I am not dead yet is already The Emperor's mercy."

Even though the pain made his voice tremble, Captain Dalikar still maintained the bearing and grace he ought to have. He stared at Vensatoria and forced his neck to move, nodding at him. "I am a colonel, and you are a brigadier. Therefore, after I die, you must take command of the Faith