Hive City Defence Battle 5

Marshal Liek looked over the battle reports sent back from the front. The hive world could no longer stop the Ork horde's invasion, and Liek's once-upright posture gradually slumped.

Marshal Liek looked at the intelligence officer beside him and asked bitterly, "We've already lost. Is there no way to turn the situation around?"

The intelligence officer lowered his head as well and said sadly, "Marshal, we have lost. We no longer have the strength to stop the Orks' invasion."

The entire command centre hall sank into despair. No one had any confidence left that they could still stop the Orks' invasion.

Marshal Liek quietly asked the intelligence officer beside him, "Still no contact with the Governor?"

The intelligence officer shook his head and quietly replied, "No contact with the Governor. Ever since the Governor sent you that military order, we haven't been able to reach him again."

Upon hearing the intelligence officer's answer, Marshal Liek had expected it, but he had not expected the Governor to flee so quickly. There were still three Ork warships hanging in orbit.

There was simply no way to leave the planet, which meant the Governor was still hiding somewhere on the hive world. Yet he refused to come out and take command, leaving Marshal Liek utterly helpless.

Seeing Marshal Liek fall silent, the intelligence officer cautiously asked, "Sir, could something have happened to the Governor?"

Marshal Liek merely shook his head at the question and said nothing more. Seeing his reaction, the intelligence officer understood that the Governor had gone into hiding.

Marshal Liek looked at the surviving staff officers and technical officers in the hall and shouted, "Go and take command of the surviving soldiers in the hive city. Continue fighting the Orks and hold out until the Imperium's reinforcements arrive."

Hearing the Marshal's order, the officers rose to their feet and shouted, "Yes, sir!"

After saying that, the officers strode out of the command centre and headed for various parts of the hive city.

Watching the officers leave, the intelligence officer looked at Marshal Liek in confusion and asked, "They've all left. What about you, Marshal?"

"Me?"

Marshal Liek looked at the intelligence officer dejectedly. He wanted to say something, but had no idea what he should say. He merely waved a hand at the officer and fell silent.

Helpless, the intelligence officer turned and walked towards the door.

Marshal Liek thought of how his poor decisions had cost the hive world tens of millions of troops and immeasurable quantities of war materiel, exhausting decades of the entire hive world's accumulated resources.

Once the Imperium reclaimed the hive world, the Governor and the other nobles would certainly place all those losses on his head. His family simply could not bear such a burden. Of course, that was only if the Imperial reinforcements arrived and defeated the Orks.

Thinking of his miserable circumstances, Marshal Liek could no longer bear to think any further. His right hand trembled as he drew the laspistol at his waist, raised it to his head, and pulled the trigger.

Thud.

The sound of a heavy body striking the ground echoed through the hall. The intelligence officer, who was still walking towards the door, heard it and turned back to see Marshal Liek lying dead on the floor.

The intelligence officer looked at Marshal Liek, who had taken his own life, yet felt no ripple of emotion. Mechanically drawing his sidearm, he muttered, "Marshal, I'll join you."

Bang.

The entire command hall fell silent.

The hive world's soldiers were fleeing in collapse ahead, while the Ork horde pursued relentlessly behind them. Human soldiers rushed into the hive city's lower levels, shaking off the Orks' pursuit amid the chaotic Underhive structures.

After entering the hive city's lower levels, the Ork horde gradually spread out. The lower levels were the largest area of the entire hive world, filled with factories and slum districts. What they had most of all were gang members.

The gangs were responsible for managing the lower-level poor and weapons production. The substantial taxes collected from the lower levels all had to be handed over to the upper-class nobles for the gangs to continue surviving.

The consequence of failing to pay taxes was extermination by the nobles' private armies. Those private armies were better equipped and better trained than the hive city Defense Force, and gang members had virtually no ability to resist them.

The lower levels were only slightly better than the Underhive. At least, after finishing their work each day, people could receive a little food to fill their stomachs.

When the Ork horde stormed into the lower levels, the already chaotic district became even more chaotic. Fierce gunfire rang out everywhere throughout the lower levels.

When gang territory came under Ork attack, the gang members fought back against the Greenskins without fear of death. It was not because they possessed greater resolve than the hive world's Planetary Defence Force.

It was simply because the territory each gang controlled was their hope of survival. Without territory, there would be no food or drinking water, forcing the gang members to resist the Ork invasion to the death.

A street controlled by the gang members had been fortified with a great deal of firepower. Heavy weapons such as Logging Guns occupied elevated positions, inflicting heavy casualties on any Orks that entered their sight.

"WAAAAAAHG!"

"Boyz, there's an even bigger scrap ahead! Charge with me!"

An Ork boss watched large numbers of Ork boyz fall ahead of him and excitedly roared at his underlings.

"WAAAAAAHG!"

An even louder roar answered the Ork boss.

The Ork boss led a large number of Ork boyz in an assault on the street controlled by the gang members.

"Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!"

Even fiercer gunfire answered the Orks. The Orks' numerical advantage could not be brought to bear in the narrow street. Whenever the Orks charged forward in large numbers, the heavy firepower positioned by the gang members on the high ground drove them back.

"These humies are pretty tough. They can actually hold off our attack."

An Ork boss over three metres tall stroked his chin. After watching the Ork boyz' third attack get repelled by the humans, he muttered to himself.

"Boss, these humies really are pretty good."

A Gretchin standing on the Ork boss's shoulder heard the boss's praise and hurriedly chimed in.

The Orks did not consider it shameful that the humans had used the terrain to repel their underlings' attacks. To Orks, as long as there was a fight to be had, that was enough.

The Ork boss turned to glance at the Gretchin boy standing on his shoulder and asked, "You've got plenty of sneaky ideas. Got any good ones?"

The Gretchin rubbed his pointed chin, thought for a few seconds, then said, "Boss, we've still got plenty of Hoppers. Let the Hoppers join the fight too. They'll definitely bring you a surprise."

The Ork boss considered it for a moment and agreed to the Gretchin's suggestion.

Having received the boss's approval, the Gretchin jumped down from his shoulder and ran towards the Ork rear.