After confirming that the explosion in the rear had occurred, Jaghatai breathed a sigh of relief and then ordered the team to slow down.
Astartes does have amazing physiques, but they are not Men of Iron with unlimited physical strength.
Now we are out of the most dangerous situation, and everyone's pressure has dropped a lot.
"Let those Rhino who are carrying the wounded return to the simple base first. The others will move slowly. After the wounded are put down, they will immediately turn around and recover all the remaining personnel."
Following Jaghatai's order, Rhino who was originally in the team sped up and left one by one.
Fortunately, this place is not very far from the previous fall point.
They arrived at Landing Site before Rhino returned.
What was originally a simple base has almost completely changed.
The sight in front of him made Dorn raise his eyebrows slightly - the originally chaotic crash site had begun to take shape as a fortress in a short period of time.
Imperial Fists The soldiers showed their Gene-Father instincts that are engraved in their bones.
Several trenches several meters deep with steep edges surround the core area.
Between the ravines, armor plates torn from the wreckage of Thunderhawk, twisted metal brackets, and even huge metal remains excavated from the depths of the wasteland were skillfully welded and stacked to form a continuous jagged parapet.
The Techmarines controlled the welders on Auxiliary Arm and Welding Torch. Roaring sparks kept lighting up the dim light. Broken gun barrels, deformed engine casings, thick Ceramite armor plates and various messy metal fragments were cut, welded and then reinforced to the fortifications.
Although the materials are uneven, the reinforcement is quite regular, even though it seems to be essentially the same as the garbage building of Orks.
Barbed wire made of scrap metal is like a bush of thorns, entangled in the gap between the edge of the trench and the parapet, forming a deadly stagnation zone.
The originally scattered vehicle remains were integrated in an orderly manner. Several had their internal parts removed, but Rhino, whose external structure was relatively intact, was pushed to key positions.
Its top cover was lifted, and the heavy-duty Assault Cannon or Laser turret removed from the crashed Thunderhawk was roughly but firmly welded to the body of the vehicle, with the muzzle pointed ferociously at the outer wasteland.
Behind the temporary bunker, some Imperial Fists soldiers who had been injured during landing but had received emergency treatment silently checked their weapons and ammunition, and scanned the horizon with vigilant eyes.
Some White Scars soldiers were scattered nearby to act as sentinels on guard.
The air is filled with ozone, molten metal, coolant, and the faint smell of blood and ointment.
"Although it is simple, it is very solid, isn't it?"
Jaghatai's voice came from the helmet communicator, with a hint of approval.
"As expected of you, Gene-sons, Dorn."
Dorn did not respond with approval. His eyes swept across this rough Fortress built of steel and will, and finally landed on the wounded who were carefully lifted off the personnel carrier.
The Apothecarys were already ready. On a crude operating table made of several flat metal plates, the damaged Power Armour was peeled off, and the buzzing sound of the Biological Scan instrument was intertwined with a slight hum.
Astartes Although they can block the impact of pain on themselves during combat, it does not mean that they will maintain this state forever. A certain amount of pain will make them clearly feel that they are still alive and will not fall into numbness.
The blue of Ultramarines, the gray of Space Wolves, the earthy yellow of Imperial Fists and the white armor fragments of White Scars are piled aside, silently telling the tragedy of the battle.
Techmarine was busy surrounding a few damaged vehicles that could still be salvaged, trying to squeeze the last combat power out of them.
Those Imperial Fists soldiers who followed Jaghatai here looked at the tall figure standing behind the motorcycle with burning eyes, and they were excited by the familiarity coming from their blood.
However, the military characteristics that Imperial Fists has always inherited make them strictly follow disciplines. No matter how excited they are, they must first perform their duties.
"Follow me."
Jaghatai stopped the motorcycle, jumped off, and motioned Dorn to walk towards a relatively quiet corner formed by the huge broken engine bulkhead of Stormbird.
The two men took off their helmets.
Jaghatai's face was full of dust and a trace of unnoticeable doubts, but his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle.
Dorn's face is like the rock he fought on, hard and cold, and the weather-beaten scratches are deeper. The only incongruous thing is his mechanical left hand that shines with cold metallic luster - it is not The common servo skeleton of Imperium or Seiko Bionic Limb is composed of rough pipes, riveted armor sheets and exposed hydraulic rods. It is full of pragmatic roughness, as if it was directly disassembled and transformed from an ancient machine.
"Now, tell me,"
Dorn's voice is low and direct, like two rocks rubbing against each other.
"Jaghatai, why do you appear in this... damn place? How did you get here?"
His eyes were locked on Jaghatai, as if he wanted to read the truth directly from the other person's eyes.
Jaghatai Take a deep breath, and the unique smell of rust and dust in the wasteland pours into your nose.
"This is Emperor's guidance, my brother."
He uttered these words and saw Dorn's rock-like expression instantly solidified, and a trace of disbelief flashed deep in his eyes.
"In other words, it is the guidance of his will. Through a... special messenger."
"Emperor?"
Dorn's voice was full of doubt and a hint of suppressed anger.
"The Lord of Terra... guided you? Did he speak in person?"
He couldn't imagine how the father sitting on Golden Throne could give such specific guidance.
"Not direct words, Dorn."
Jaghatai explained, recalling the information brought by Corax.
"Leman Russ said that he received guidance from Allfather, saying that Allfather chose me to come to you, and Corax provided some insights into some key information. Dorn."
"Leman Russ and Corax are back? It seems that Russ still failed. Did they say how to leave here?"
Dorn did not show any confusion about the messages from Leman Russ and Corax.
Instead, it was Dorn's question that made Jaghatai's mouth twitch.
"Didn't say."
Jaghatai's answer made Dorn couldn't help but cover his forehead with his hands.
"Jaghatai, if I could have a way to leave here, I would have gone back to Imperium."
"How is Imperium's situation now? I don't even know how long I have been trapped here."
"More than ten thousand years, Dorn."
"What do you mean?"
"More than 10,000 years have passed since your missing 048. M31!"
Jaghatai paused, seeming to consider his words.
"Since Emperor was seriously injured and forced to ride on Golden Throne, we brothers have been trapped in various places. Under the rule of Mortals, Imperium... divided, decayed, and struggled in the darkness for thousands of years. But hope has not been cut off."
"In fact, we have all been derelict in our duties for tens of thousands of years. Imperium has almost fallen to the point of no return."
Every piece of information is enough to subvert his cognition.
"Ten thousand years?!"
Dorn's stone-like face finally showed obvious cracks. Shock, pain, sense of responsibility and a trace of confusion violently intertwined and collided in his eyes.
He was silent for a long time, digesting this tsunami of information. The rough mechanical hand clenched and unclenched unconsciously, making a slight sound of metal friction, and then clenched it into a fist.
"I am the guard of Rogal Dorn, Terra, the seventh son of Primarch of Imperial Fists, Emperor. I am as solid as a rock! I will never waver!"