As the elite of the entire company, First Platoon's subordinate squads had all been re-equipped with Plasma Guns. Using those things against scrap bikes would only result in overpenetration.
So there was no need to waste precious Plasma Weapons. The Chimera armored vehicle's Autocannon had already locked onto the enemy.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With a burst of fire, the Autocannon successfully hit the scrap bike. The entire bike came apart, blasted into a heap of scrap.
Several other Autocannon shells landed amid the Green Tide behind the scrap bike, directly clearing out a small patch.
Though most of the Greenhide Orks there were merely wounded, the Chimera's power was still plain to see.
Once the Green Tide came within two hundred meters, the soldiers across the entire position began firing.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Auxilia's Bolters had been specially fitted with stocks and secured into the Exoskeletons' mounting slots. With the Exoskeletons' assistance, every shot in the first volley hit its target.
Any part of an Ork struck by a .75-inch, 19.05mm bolt was blown into a cloud of blood. Orks hit in the head simply dropped dead.
Aside from a few targets struck more than once, over thirty Orks lost their combat capability in the first volley alone. Nearly half the Green Tide was wiped out at once.
The Squad Heavy Bolters opened fire immediately afterward, followed by the Chimera turret's Autocannon, Twin-linked Heavy Bolters, Multi-lasers...
In what felt like an instant, the entire Green Tide vanished, leaving behind nothing but corpses. One squad immediately advanced to carry out the incineration operation again.
Andrew was somewhat amazed by the Auxilia's combat capabilities, then noticed something strange about the Greenhide Orks.
It was one thing for the Ork Boys to fight to the death without retreating, but why had the accompanying Gretchin not immediately broken and fled? Why were they charging forward with them instead?
Normally, in a disorganized fight, the moment they saw a large number of Ork Boys suddenly wiped out, the Gretchin should have begun scattering. Yet those Gretchin had kept charging forward.
So this Ork Tribe already had a Boss or leader who had unified all the Orks?
The unease Andrew had just set aside rose again. A rabble and an organized Ork Tribe were entirely different matters. He had to report this immediately.
On his way back to headquarters, he cursed under his breath.
"Badab hasn't recorded a Greenhide invasion in centuries. How the hell did these greenskins get into the Deep Hive? Whoever caused this deserves to have his whole family killed."
The nobles who had grown tired of throwing greenskins into the Deep Hive: "No objections here."
Deep within the Deep Hive, a burly Ork nearly four meters tall was staring at First Platoon's distant position.
"By Gorkamorka, dese humies got some real fight in 'em!"
It had spent centuries in the Deep Hive fighting weak Mutated Creatures, Mutant tribes, Cultist groups, and other worthless scraps. It had long since grown bored.
There had once been some humies who liked chopping heads off to relieve its boredom, but they had somehow been burned to ashes earlier. That had left it increasingly bored.
But thank Gorkamorka, they had sent it such fierce, powerful humies again. They had killed so many greenskins in just a few minutes. That was proper exciting!
Just watching the scene gave it an endless stream of ideas. Bigger choppa! Bigger dakka!
Oh, yeah, yeah, by Gorkamorka!
Pity these humies only liked shooting and shooting, not chopping and chopping. No fun at all. It would be even better if some humies who liked chopping showed up!
While the Ork Boss was thinking, intelligence about the Orks' appearance was swiftly passed up to the Sixth Special Operations Division headquarters. After deliberation, headquarters decided to call in the Astartes Brothers directly.
To ensure the annihilation operation proceeded smoothly, most of the Sixth Special Operations Division's forces had been used to block Purifying Fire's retreat. They could not spare additional troops to deal with the newly emerged Orks.
Moreover, when faced with an unexpected situation like this, the training doctrine explicitly stated that the first priority was to call for any available support, not stubbornly charge ahead.
As a severe sufferer of insufficient-firepower anxiety, Huron had always preferred crushing his enemies with overwhelming advantages from every direction, avoiding the awkward situation of getting dragged into security operations or piecemeal battles.
So the Sixth Special Operations Division reported the information directly to the Astral Claws Chapter, and the mission was handed to Corian, commander of the Second Company, whose hands had been itching for a fight.
Upon receiving the new mission and discovering that the targets were the warlike Greenhide Orks, the entire Second Company became excited.
Most of them carried the Tiger Claws Bloodline. Though called the Second Company, they were essentially the Tiger Claws Chapter, and like Corian, most of them were battle-crazed maniacs.
Apart from those already out on missions, the remaining six hundred-plus members of the entire company deployed, including two Cataphractii Terminator Companies.
That was right. After a long period of production, Terminators had begun gradually becoming commonplace among the Astral Claws.
When Corian arrived at the mission site aboard a Land Raider, he saw the Greenhide Ork corpses being burned.
"That's right. They really are Orks."
Corian was not picky. He directly selected an Ork corpse that still had a head and began absorbing its memory matter.
"There are quite a few of them. Over twenty thousand Ork Boys." After absorbing the memories, Corian announced the good news.
The Second Company's Astartes became excited. More than twenty thousand—split evenly, each of them could get thirty or forty Orks to kill. Add in the Gretchin, and they would have a proper slaughter!
This worrying mental state was also why Huron had prioritized the Emperor's Epiphany Decision. Otherwise, if the Tiger Claws Chapter fell to Khorne, he would not even have a place to cry.
"The enemy has few heavy weapons and vehicle units. Use Companies as the basic units and sweep the Ork-controlled areas. Note this: annihilate them as thoroughly as possible."
Corian dragged out several more Ork corpses, signaling the various company commanders to retrieve their mission briefings.
Only after the commanders were ready did he board the Phobos-pattern Land Raider. "For the Emperor! For Huron! Astral Claws!"
"For the Emperor! For Huron! For the Astral Claws!"
More than a battle cry, it sounded like a prayer.
All the Space Marines boarded Land Raiders and began heading toward various areas of the Deep Hive to encircle and exterminate the Orks.
The Ork Boss, hoping to meet humies who liked chopping and chopping, was tinkering with new equipment alongside a Runtherd when Corian burst through the door and came face-to-face with it.
"Waaagh!" The Ork Boss became excited the moment it saw Corian's imposing gear. Though Corian was only two and a half meters tall, this enemy was worth fighting!
It grabbed its enormous Chainaxe and swept it toward Corian, casually cleaving the Runtherd in two along the way.
Corian drew his Bolter and fired two shots straight into the Chainaxe-wielding Ork Boss's palms.
Bang! Bang!
The Ork Boss's two hands were severed instantly. The Chainaxe traced an arc through the air and landed somewhere unknown.
Bzzzz.
The Power Sword hummed as it charged. Corian raised the Power Sword shrouded in a Disruption Field and pointed it directly at the Ork Boss.
"Proper exciting!" The outmatched Ork Boss looked thrilled as it charged straight at Corian.
Corian used the same trick again, firing two shots at the Ork Boss's feet. As it staggered, he took its head with a single sword stroke.
"Why does this Ork Boss feel a little stupid?"
He had dealt with the enemy easily, but Corian was somewhat displeased. He had wanted a proper fight, yet it had ended so simply.
"Forget it. I'll kill some other things to pass the time."
He rushed out of the workshop and charged toward the other Ork Boys.
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