"Now."
Lion El'Jonson's voice rang out across the Bridge of the Unyielding Truth. It was quiet, yet like a boulder dropped into boiling oil, it instantly overwhelmed every tactical alert, damage report, and thunderous gun blast.
His hawklike gaze fixed on the holographic star chart. There, the energy shield readings for the Rangdan Superstructure finally showed violent fluctuations and a sharply plunging curve after enduring the Imperial Fleet's all-out concentrated bombardment, especially the interference from the Warp Rifts torn open by dozens of Vortex Torpedoes.
Although the shield had not yet collapsed completely, its strength and stability had fallen to their lowest point since the battle began. The once seamless azure barrier now flickered like a candle guttering in the wind.
The opportunity could not be missed.
For any battle-hardened commander, when cracks appeared in the enemy's toughest shell, there was almost only one answer to what came next.
Especially for the Dark Angels, who believed in decapitation strikes and destruction from within. Especially for Lion El'Jonson, the lion accustomed to lunging for his prey's vital points.
"All assault vessels, Battle Barges, and Thunderhawk Gunships, converge on the designated attack front."
"Target: the enemy's main Construct. Mission: forced boarding, internal breakthrough, and destruction of its command core, power sources, and Shield Generator. Open a path for the Fleet's firepower."
"Yes! Preparing for boarding action!"
The orders swept through the Fleet like wildfire.
The Dark Angels assault Fleet, already prowling the edges of the battlefield like sharks waiting for the scent of blood, moved.
Massive Battle Barges, like moving mountains of steel, began adjusting their orientation under the protection of their Void Shields, turning their broad undersides or flanks toward the distant, tottering colossus.
Countless hatches thundered open across their hulls, like a hive opening its mouths.
"Launch Drop Pods!"
There