"Boom!"
Another three-meter-diameter Wrecking Ball was hit directly on the side by the Melta Cannon.
The intense heat of several thousand degrees instantly burned through the thick alloy armor, and the Goffs guy inside was burned to a crisp amidst screams.
The out-of-control iron ball swam wildly through the corridor a few times before finally crashing into the wall and coming to a stop.
"Well done!"
The commander of the 2nd Chapter shouted, a weary smile on his face.
This is the sixth Wrecking Ball they've destroyed here.
From the start of the ambush until now, in just two minutes, they have paid the price of nearly a thousand casualties.
However, they successfully delayed the Wrecking Ball Brigade's advance and inflicted some damage on them.
On the bridge of the Gemstone, Dominic kept a close eye on the battle situation on the main screen.
When he saw the sixth Wrecking Ball destroyed, the corners of his tightly closed mouth finally turned up slightly.
"It seems these so-called Wrecking Balls aren't invincible after all."
His tone regained its former confidence.
The horrific scene of the Anna swallowing the frigate whole had left him with psychological trauma that was gradually fading.
These Orks, though strange, are still flesh and blood after all.
With sufficient firepower, they can be killed just as easily.
"However, we cannot let our guard down." Dominic quickly suppressed his smile, his eyes sharpening once more.
" Ragnar himself hasn't made a move yet; the real battle is yet to come."
"Pass on my order: have the troops on the first line of defense gradually withdraw, and do not engage them in a direct confrontation. Lure them to the second line of defense."
"Yes, sir!"
Just then, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed.
"Reporting, sir, a large number of enemy cavalry have appeared on our flank!"
"What?" Dominic frowned.
"Cavalry? Using cavalry on a spaceship?"
He could hardly believe his ears.
He had heard about the Orks ' madness before.
Using cavalry in the narrow passageways of a warship is simply absurd.
However, the image on the screen confirmed the communications soldier's report.
Countless Orks cavalrymen riding giant Squig were seen charging out from the side ventilation ducts and maintenance passages.
These Squig are enormous, standing over three meters tall at the shoulder, with thick, rough skin and sharp fangs and claws.
On their backs rode Orks Snakebites, dressed in animal skins and wielding spears and machetes.
The Snakebites is the Orks clan that most reveres primal power.
They dislike complex technology and have more faith in the power of their fists and mounts.
They did not have their own fleet, nor were they skilled at piloting warships.
But they were the best cavalry unit in all of Dorito.
When Ragnar attacked the Gemstone, he specifically brought two thousand elite cavalrymen from the Snakebites.
The most elite troops arrived on the Gemstone aboard the Big Killy Torpedo.
They were the most mobile of the Orks units and were the first to join forces with Ragnar.
"Charge! For Ragnar! Waaaagh!!"
The burly cavalryman from the Snakebites shouted and spurred his mount forward, charging towards the Imperium soldiers' defensive line.
The giant Squig roared deafeningly, its legs pounding as it rampaged through the narrow corridor.
Their impact force was extremely astonishing; they smashed open heavy blast doors and easily flattened sandbag bunkers.
The Imperium soldiers quickly turned their guns and fired at the cavalry.
Lasers and bullets could only leave shallow wounds on Squig's thick skin, and could not cause any fatal damage.
This only enraged the beasts, making them even more ferocious.
"Fire! Shoot them in the eyes with the Heavy Bolter!"
The regimental commander shouted at the top of his lungs.
The soldiers switched to Heavy Bolter and aimed at Squig's vulnerable spots, such as his eyes and mouth, and fired.
Finally, several Squig were hit and fell to the ground.
But in the end, they still broke through the Imperium soldiers' lines, opening their blood-red maws and tearing apart everything in their path.
The Snakebites cavalry, brandishing their spears and swords, hacked and slashed through the crowd.
The already precarious first line of defense collapsed instantly.
"Retreat! Retreat now!"
The commander had no choice but to give the order.
The surviving soldiers dropped their weapons and ran towards the second line of defense.
"Hahaha, you pathetic shrimp!"
Ragnar laughed heartily, poking his head out of the iron ball, "Chase them! Don't let a single shrimp escape!"
"Waaaaagh!!!"
The Wrecking Ball Brigade and the Snakebites Riders roared wildly as they chased after the fleeing Imperium soldiers.
Led by Ragnar, the remaining fifty-odd Wrecking Balls charged wildly all the way to the upper deck.
As soon as they stepped into the entrance to the upper deck, a blinding blue arc of electricity struck them head-on.
"Sizzle!"
The first Wrecking Ball was hit directly by the arc.
A powerful electric current instantly spread throughout the entire iron ball.
Black smoke billowed from the surface of the iron ball, and its speed noticeably decreased.
"Who goes there?!" Ragnar shouted sharply.
He raised his head and looked ahead.
In the wide passageway of the upper deck, a steel defense line was already in full force.
At the forefront of the defensive line were dozens of Krios Battle Tank.
These tanks abandoned their heavy armor, replacing it with a deflecting energy shield that shimmered with a pale blue light.
The tank's turret is equipped with twin-mounted Lightning Lock.
Behind the tanks were rows of Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii dressed in red and black Power Armour.
They held Arc Rifle and Radium Carbine, their eyes coldly fixed on the charging Orks.
Several Tech-Priest, dressed in long robes and covered in mechanical prosthetics, stood in the center of the defensive line, their fingers flying across Dataslate as they constantly adjusted the tactical deployment.
This is the second line of defense that Dominic has set up.
Composed of the Adeptus Mechanicus's Skitarii and mechanized units, they are one of the most elite fighting forces on the Gemstone.
"Fire!"
The leading Tech-Priest coldly issued his orders in a synthesized, mechanical voice.
"Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!"
Dozens of Lightning Lock opened fire simultaneously.
Like divine punishment, dozens of thick Lightning swept towards the Wrecking Ball Brigade and the Snakebites Cavalry.
"Scatter! Scatter now!" Ragnar shouted.
The Wrecking Balls quickly scattered to the sides to avoid the electric arc's attack.
However, several slow-reacting Wrecking Balls were still hit by the arc.
The powerful electric current temporarily malfunctioned, and the iron balls stopped in place, motionless.
The Snakebites cavalry, thanks to Squig's agility, skillfully dodged the electric arcs.
Riding on their Squig, they dodged and weaved through the tunnels, rapidly approaching the defensive line.
"The leather of these Squig is a natural insulator, so arcing attacks have little effect on them."
The Tech-Priest calmly stated, "Switch weapons, Heavy Servitor II, advance."
At his command, twenty-four heavy Servitor, each three meters tall, emerged from behind the defensive line.
These Servitor were covered in heavy armor and wore gas masks.
They worked in pairs, each carrying a massive Irradiation Engine.
"Target: Enemy cavalry. Free fire."
"Buzz~~~"
The Irradiation Engine emitted a deep hum.
Beams of deadly fluorescent green radiation shot towards the Snakebites cavalry charging at the forefront.
Radiation attacks are the nemesis of all organic life.
It can instantly disintegrate the cellular structure of organisms, causing flesh to rot and decompose within seconds.
The massive Cave Squig, though thick-skinned and able to withstand ordinary bullets and electric arc attacks, cannot resist the corrosive effects of radiation.
"Awooo!!!"
The first few Squig charged forward and let out a piercing scream.
After being hit by radiation, their skin begins to ulcerate and peel off rapidly, exposing their muscles and bones to the air.
In just a few seconds, they turned into puddles of black ash.
The Snakebites cavalrymen on their backs were not spared either, disappearing into the radiation along with their mounts.